A 29-year-old Laredo resident has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Authorities identified Kristopher Santos in 2019 when conducting a peer-to-peer (p2p) undercover investigation. Santos was sharing child pornography online.

On April 12, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home and discovered and seized several electronic devices. Law enforcement also discovered a trunk full of sex toys and children’s underwear.

Santos acknowledged he was sexually attracted to children, viewing the child pornography and that the trunk belonged to him. He also admitted to touching two minor relatives inappropriately and taking naked pictures of the boys exposing themselves.

Law enforcement ultimately identified a total of 27,729 images and 7,667 videos containing child pornography on the seized electronic devices.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Santos faces a mandatory minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Webb County Sherriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting 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.

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