DEL RIO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Ecuadorian man with what’s described as a “sickening amount” of child pornography, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ramiro Helibuerto Cuenca-Campos, 27, of Cuenca Provincia, Azuay, Ecuador, was arrested in March 2020 by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Brackettville, Texas, during a failed human smuggling attempt.
He has remained in federal custody since his arrest. It was there that authorities say they discovered more than 2,000 images containing child sexual abuse material in his cell phone.
On July 27, 2021, Cuenca-Campos was found guilty of possession of child sexual abuse material.
“This defendant traveled from Ecuador and crossed the border into our country with a sickening amount of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas.
In addition to the prison sentence, Cuenca-Campos was ordered to five years of supervised release. He must also pay $18,000 in restitution to the victims and $200 in special assessments. Authorities also ordered forfeiture of his phone.
“Individuals who receive and possess child pornography participate in the victimization of children whose innocence can never be restored,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division.
