Crime & Safety

Contra Costa Man Accused Of Distribution Of Child Porn

An investigation by Homeland Security and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led to his arrest.

Sergio Luiz Cruz Esparza, 22, of Bay Point, is accused of distribution of child pornography as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Sergio Luiz Cruz Esparza, 22, of Bay Point, is accused of distribution of child pornography as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (Shutterstock / rafapress)

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A Bay Point man is facing federal charges in connection with allegations that he shared images of child pornography on social media, as well as links to videos showing sexually explicit conduct inflicted by men upon girls as young as 4 years old.

Sergio Luiz Cruz Esparza, 22, was charged Tuesday in a criminal complaint that accuses him of distribution of child pornography, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney David Anderson of the Northern District of California, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.

The prosecution against Cruz Esparza is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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Cruz Esparza appeared in federal court Tuesday in San Francisco for a detention hearing in the matter, during which a federal judge detained him pending trial.

According to an affidavit filed in the court case, it is alleged that Cruz Esparza distributed images of child pornography on social media apps using a cell phone, and that at least one of the photos showed a young girl committing a sex act on Cruz Esparza.

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It is further alleged in the court documents that Cruz Esparza transmitted links leading to an online cloud storage site to other people, one of whom was an undercover law enforcement agent.

"Those links led to videos depicting sexually explicit conduct by adult males inflicted on minor females as young as 4 years old," federal prosecutors allege.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Gonzalez Rodriguez and Kathleen Turner.

Cruz Esparza remains in federal custody pending his next court appearance Wednesday.

If convicted, he faces maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment with a minimum imprisonment term of five years, a life term of supervised release with a minimum supervised release term of 5 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.


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