Man Sentenced to Serve 48 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

San Diego, CA - United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced that Harry Rodriguez was sentenced today in federal court in San Diego based upon his conviction for one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B). United States District Court Judge Janis L. Sammartino sentenced Rodriguez to serve 48 months in custody and ten years of supervised release following his release from prison; Judge Sammartino also required Rodriguez to register as a sex offender. Rodriguez pled guilty on April 29, 2008.

According to the court records, Rodriguez admitted that on or about February 26, 2007, he possessed a computer containing between 150-300 images of minors, some as young as four years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults and each other. Prior to his arrest, Rodriguez was an auto mechanic in Temecula, California.

This case stems from a nationwide investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and assisted by the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose members include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the Chula Vista Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service, the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the El Cajon Police Department.

This case is being brought as part of the Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood (PSC) and the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative (IINI). Both are nationwide initiatives designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and for additional information on IINI, please visit www.fbi.gov

DEFENDANT Case Number: 08cr1122-JLS
HARRY RODRIGUEZ

SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B) (Possession of Child Pornography)

AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation