Des Plaines Man Charged with Child Pornography

A Des Plaines man was arrested Tuesday after federal agents found images of alleged child pornography at his residence, according the U.S. States Attorney’s office. According to a press release, Bobby Cruz, 32, of Des Plaines, was charged with transporting child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The investigation began when agents discovered the same email account, later identified as belonging to Cruz, was used to trade hundreds of child pornography images with an unnamed individual in December 2010.

Earlier:

According to court documents, Cruz allegedly sent an email on Sept. 14 to an undercover U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with an attached zip file containing approximately 100 images of child pornography.

During the search of Cruz’s residence Tuesday, agents found numerous images and videos of alleged child pornography on a laptop computer and external hard drive during a preliminary review.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, child pornographers online, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers.

Cruz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in U.S. District Court, and was ordered to remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing at 3 p.m. on Nov. 4.

A complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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