SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man has been sentenced to prison for receiving and distributing child pornography, according to federal authorities.
Juan Rafael Benavidez, 64, will serve 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
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He was arrested in July 2020 after FBI agents searched his home and seized his cell phone.
The phone contained about 37,600 images and four videos of children being sexually abused, the release states.
Federal officials previously said that he used the mobile messaging application, Kik, to receive and distribute the files.
He has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
“Predators do not care about the damage they do to the innocent victims of these reprehensible crimes,” U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff said in the release. “Holding these offenders accountable for the harm they cause and protecting our communities is a top priority for our office. I am proud of the work we do, and the work of our law enforcement partners to combat these crimes.”
The FBI investigated the case.
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