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McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Edcouch resident was sentenced for purchasing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
On March 19, 32-year-old Servando Diaz pleaded guilty to downloading child pornography to numerus personal devices for his own use on and offline
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, from Nov. 20, 2022 to Dec. 7, 2022, Diaz downloaded child pornography from links he purchased with cryptocurrency.
Authorities investigated offenders engaging in a "commercial sexual exploitation ring" where they sold and paid for child pornography through cryptocurrency.
"In return, links were provided to the purchaser via MEGA, a file hosting service," the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.
Using transaction information, authorities identified Diaz as an individual who purchased child pornography through the sexual exploitation ring.
On Aug. 15, 2023, authorities interviewed Diaz, who admitted to viewing, purchasing and downloading child pornography for 10 years.
Diaz stated he used various platforms such as Telegram and MEGA to purchase the links with cryptocurrency.
He also paid $50 to $150 through PayPal to access a private group known to distribute child pornography on either Discord or Telegram.
A forensic search revealed 360 videos and 178 images of child pornography found on his devices.
"In addition, the court heard that his collection of child pornography included a wide range of content including videos that ranged in length, sadistic and masochistic files and bestiality," said Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney.
U.S., District Judge Drew Tipton sentenced Diaz to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He must also pay a $5,000 special assessment.
He was also ordered to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Diaz was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Diaz is pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
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