A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, federal authorities announced.
Daniel Berrones pleaded guilty on Aug. 27. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks sentenced him to 136 months in prison and ordered him to pay $25,000 in restitution to known victims.
After completing his prison sentence, Berrones will serve five years of supervised release and must comply with restrictions designed to limit his access to children and the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to authorities, the investigation began Feb. 7, 2020, when law enforcement discovered child sexual abuse material being shared through the Mega application.
Investigators traced the activity to a blog that provided users access to the material. Authorities identified an email account belonging to Berrones that was distributing the content in an online chat group.
During a search of Berrones’ residence, investigators found approximately 22 videos and 167 images of child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices.
Berrones admitted to accessing links containing the material through Discord, an instant messaging and distribution platform. He also admitted to using the internet to distribute and store the material, including images and videos involving toddlers.
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard additional testimony describing how Berrones used online chat rooms solely to share child sexual abuse material.
Berrones remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
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