Houston Republic

A 33-year-old man from Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

David de los Santos pleaded guilty on March 3, 2022. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana handed down the sentence after hearing that some of the images de los Santos possessed were of a two-year-old minor relative. The court enhanced the sentence to the maximum possible term due to the graphic nature of these images.

The court emphasized the severity of de los Santos’ crimes and ordered him to pay $84,304 in restitution to known victims. Following his prison term, he will serve five years on supervised release with numerous restrictions designed to limit his access to children and the internet. De los Santos will also be required to register as a sex offender.

“A parent’s worst nightmare is to discover someone you trusted with your family, such as a relative, was actually preying on your child’s innocence,” said Hamdani. “De los Santos made that nightmare a terrifying reality, but thankfully he is now off the streets and out of our community, allowing for the possibility that his victims can start to heal.”

The investigation began when authorities identified an IP address linked to de los Santos uploading child pornography online. On July 1, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home and seized several electronic devices containing child pornography. De los Santos was taken into custody and found in possession of 1,038 images and 393 videos depicting child pornography, including abuse of babies and toddlers.

Further investigation revealed that de los Santos possessed pornographic images of a minor relative who was sometimes in his care.

De los Santos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from the Laredo Police Department as part of the Child Exploitation Task Force. This task force includes members from FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals Service, and United Independent School District Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted this case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts across federal, state, and local levels.

For more information about PSC or internet safety education resources provided by DOJ's PSC page.