Texas man found with 200 videos and 7,000 photos of child pornography sentenced

A man from San Antonio, Texas was sentenced on Wednesday to 151 months in prison for possession and distribution of child pornography.

Dario Torres, 40, was identified by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as a trafficker in child pornography in social media chat rooms, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.  

On March 21, 2018, police raided Torres' residence, where they found two cell phones containing in their entirety more than 200 videos and 7,000 photos depicting children engaged in "explicit sexual conduct, including bondage and bestiality."

Approximately 130 videos and 761 images were found on the first phone, and the second contained 6,908 images and 141 videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of various children. 

Torres pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on Feb. 13, 2020, after being held in federal custody since his arrest on April 6, 2019. In addition to the sentence, he was ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution, the release read. 

"We will continue to vigorously prosecute those who distribute child pornography as they violate the sanctity and innocence of our children," said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. "We remain grateful for our law enforcement partners as we work together to protect children and hold these offenders accountable for the harm they cause in our society." 

"This ruling sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit children in any way and HSI will continue to dedicate our resources to identify these individuals and bring them to justice," said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

The Dario Torres case was filed as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the rise of child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States.