A federal grand jury has indicted Mauricio Flores, 36, of Davenport, Florida, on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. If convicted, Flores could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Authorities have also indicated their intention to forfeit a cellphone that is alleged to have been used during the offense.
Court documents state that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flores’s residence following an investigation into activity on a dark web site dedicated to CSAM. Investigators seized electronic devices from the home and found files containing CSAM on a cellphone.
“An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Muriel Moore will prosecute the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to find and prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
