Receiving and storing child pornography via social media lands man in prison

LAREDO, Texas – A 22-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Ricardo Reyna pleaded guilty July 7, 2022.

Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Reyna to 210 months and 210 months for the possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently. The court also heard additional information today including letters from identified victims detailing the trauma and revictimization they have experienced as a result of the Reyna’s crimes.

In handing down the prison term, the court noted that eventually Reyna would be released from prison and the self-described hell he is going through while incarcerated, but the victims of his crimes can never escape their trauma. They will have to continue enduring their abuse for the rest of their lives.

Reyna was further ordered to pay a total of $16,000 in restitution and will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Reyna will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

At the time of his plea, he admitted to viewing and sharing child pornography between May 1, 2020, and May 6, 2022. 

During the investigation, authorities found 51 video files and 16 images of child pornography on Reyna’s cellphones. Reyna admitted to viewing and sharing child pornography on Kik starting in 2020. 

Reyna will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Mark Hicks handled the sentencing. Former AUSA April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.