Local Man Admits to Distributing Child Pornography Charges

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 36-year-old Corpus Christi man has admitted he distributed child pornography on at least two occasions, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

In September 2016, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force conducted an investigation on a file sharing network looking for potential offenders sharing child pornography. An officer was eventually able to download many images of child pornography from a computer and a specific IP address linked to David Medina in Corpus Christi. Agents obtained a search warrant for Medina’s residence, after which agents seized several digital devices that led to the discovery of more than 3,500 images and 28 videos of child pornography. 

Another investigation in 2017 led authorities to a different computer sharing child pornography which was traced to a second residence in Corpus Christi linked to Medina. He cellular phone was seized and allegedly found to contain more than 1,000 images and 95 videos of child pornography.

In Feb. 21, 2018, authorities received information that someone was downloading child pornography at a hotel in Corpus Christi. Medina was found to be renting a room at that location and seized his laptop as part of the investigation. At that time, Medina again admitting to distributing child pornography.

Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey accepted the guilty plea today and set sentencing for Aug. 21, 2018. At that time, Medina faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Medina also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the internet.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."