A man charged with sex crimes against children over 30 years ago — and then again 16 years ago — will now serve time for purchasing and possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Terry Means sentenced Angel Aguilar Montalvo to 20 years in federal prison on June 28. The defendant was handed the statutory maximum sentence after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham of the Northern District of Texas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiated an investigation in April 2019 after a dark web website offered child pornography material (CSAM) for sale.
Both HSI New York and HSI Dallas investigated the case. Investigators discovered Montalvo had purchased child pornographic content from the website using cryptocurrencies on several occasions. Agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s home and recovered three electronic devices.
Thousands of images and videos of child pornography were recovered from the electronic devices after they were forensically analyzed. According to the announcement, the images included pornographic videos involving children under the age of 5.
During an interview, the defendant described some of the videos and images as “pretty hardcore.” Montalvo also told agents that he knew his actions were illegal. He, however, maintained that he did not “see any harm done” and argued that humans are all sexual beings.
Agents obtained an arrest warrant for the defendant in August 2021 and arrested him as he tried to re-enter the United States from Mexico.
Upon his arrest, agents found a new computer in Montalvo’s possession. Investigators discovered evidence that the defendant had downloaded and deleted child pornography videos on the new computer as well.
Montalvo was indicted for receipt of child pornography on January 12. The defendant pleaded guilty to the indictment in February.
Meacham’s announcement revealed that the defendant had previously faced a state charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child in 1990. The case was dismissed, but Meacham did not say why.
Montalvo faced another charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child involving two children in 2006. The case was subsequently dismissed after it ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
The alleged victims from his 1990 and 2006 cases testified at Aguilar’s sentencing on June 28 about the sexual abuse they suffered at the defendant’s hands.