April 30, 2007

Puerto Rican sex offender sentenced to four years imprisonment following ICE investigation

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A 37-year-old Puerto Rican man was sentenced here Friday to four years imprisonment and five years of supervised release for being in possession of child pornography following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

Carlos Colon Aviles pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on Jan. 25, 2005, after a referral from the ICE Cyber Crimes Center led to an investigation that revealed that he had accessed websites containing child pornography.

On March 3, 2005, Colon Aviles consented to a search of his residence by ICE special agents which resulted in the seizure of one computer and several electronic media storage devices. A subsequent forensic examination of the computer and electronic devices revealed images of child pornography.

"Predators who think that they can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet must think twice," said Manuel Oyola Torres, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Puerto Rico. "We will continue using all our resources to identify and prosecute those who hurt our children."

The arrest of Colon Aviles was part of Operation Predator, a comprehensive ICE initiative aimed at those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign national predators whose crimes make them deportable. Since the initiative was launched in July of 2003, there have been more than 9,700 individuals arrested nationwide.

Additional information about Operation Predator is available on the Web at www.ice.gov. ICE encourages the reporting of suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

  Last Modified: