United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott …

                            United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott
                                Eastern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
Friday, August 22, 2008                                                     PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae                                                   lauren.horwood@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 08-cr-102-LJO

ARMY RECRUITER PLEADS GUILTY TO DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
                    Agrees to 11-year Prison Term

       FRESNO, Calif.--United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that

RAMON SANTOS, Jr., of Lemoore, Calif., pleaded guilty today before United States District

Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill to one count of receipt and distribution of images of minors engaged

in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant agreed to a term of

135 months in prison.

       This case was the result of an investigation by the Palm Beach County (Florida) Sheriff's

Department working in conjunction with the Fresno Internet Crimes Against Children Task

Force, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Fresno County Sheriff's

Department, Computer Crimes Unit. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Naval Criminal

Investigative Service.

       According to Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa, who is prosecuting the case,

investigators in Florida seized and analyzed a computer known to be involved in the distribution

of images of child pornography through use of an America Online e-mail account. Investigators

determined that SANTOS had sent images depicting the sexual abuse of minors to one or more

persons. A search warrant for his residence at the Naval Air Station Lemoore was executed, his

computer was seized, and when it was analyzed, numerous images of child pornography were

located. Court documents reveal that several of the images depicted violence, and one video was
approximately 29 minutes in length and involved images of children as young as three years of

age being sexually abused. When the search warrant was executed, SANTOS, a 17-year veteran

and sergeant in the Army Reserves, was employed as a recruiter.

       SANTOS was remanded into custody today, and the court scheduled his sentencing for

October 31, 2008, at 9:00 a.m.

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