Illegal Alien Sentenced to 292 Months for Sexually Exploiting Children

The defendant will be deported after serving his sentence.

          GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that Jose Montoya, 62, was sentenced to 292 months in prison for creating videos of child pornography and collecting videos of child pornography that depicted acts of preschool-aged children being raped.  Montoya, who is an illegal alien, will be deported to Mexico after he is released from prison. Birge was joined in the announcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Detroit field office acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey.

          “We will continue to investigate any allegations of child exploitation that endanger our communities,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “We will not tolerate illegal aliens who not only violate our immigration laws, but even more egregiously, also target children for exploitation.  We will hold them fully accountable for all their crimes.”

          Montoya’s online collection of child pornography was discovered by Google and reported to authorities.  Investigators from the Michigan State Police and ICE Homeland Security Investigations searched his home and his devices and discovered that he also produced child pornography videos of pre-school aged children who were under the care of his wife’s in-home daycare.  At sentencing, the mother of a three-year-old child victimized by Montoya expressed disgust at his conduct and anger at the betrayal of trust.

          This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

          This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru and investigated by Michigan State Police ICAC taskforce and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. 

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