Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Otto G. Pena, age 46, a resident of Valdosta, Georgia and Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced on July 29, 2013 by the Honorable Hugh Lawson in United States District Court, Valdosta Division, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by twenty-five (25) years of supervised release.
Mr. Pena entered a plea of guilty on July 29, 2013 to Possession of Child Pornography.
Court records showed that a search conducted on Mr. Pena’s residence revealed numerous computers containing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Mr. Pena admitted that he was in possession of more than 600 images of child pornography, that the images on the computers had been mailed, shipped or transported in interstate and foreign commerce and that the depictions of the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct were produced using materials
which had been mailed, shipped, or transported by means of interstate and foreign commerce.
Evidence was presented at sentencing showing that Mr. Pena had also engaged in a pattern of activity involving sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor.
U.S. Attorney Michael Moore said, “Mr. Pena re-victimized the children in these images every time he looked at the pictures. Possession of this disgusting material is not a victimless crime, and Mr. Pena, or anyone else who exploits children in Middle Georgia, need to know that we will use every resource we have to make sure they go to federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers for the Government.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.
