San Antonio, Texas - An Englewood, Colorado, resident was convicted today after a three-day jury trial on six child exploitation offenses, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer of the Western District of Texas.
Alvaro Castillo Jr, 64, a retired telecommunications network engineer, was found guilty of three counts of production of child pornography; one count of attempted production of child pornography; one count of transportation of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to trial evidence, in May 2018, Castillo traveled to his native country of Guatemala and video-recorded himself sexually abusing a 13-year-old victim who was sleeping. Evidence from that video identified Castillo as the abuser. Further evidence also revealed that Castillo possessed and transported additional images of child pornography. Law enforcement agents discovered the child pornography evidence during an October 2019 search of a recreational vehicle he was driving at the U.S.–Mexico border.
Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro of the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
