FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Aldo David Alcaraz, 27, of Long Beach, charging him with production and possession of child pornography, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between December 2020 and January 2021, Alcaraz produced nine videos of himself engaged in sex acts with a minor victim in Tulare County. Alcaraz is also charged with possessing sexual images of minors, including minors under the age of 12 and another set of videos that Alcaraz produced of himself engaged in sex acts with a different minor victim. Finally, according to court documents, in January 2021, Alcaraz traveled to Kern County in an attempt to meet a minor to engage in sex acts, and he sent obscene images to that minor.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information related to this case or who believes that they or their child may be a victim can contact HSI at its tollfree tip line: 1-866-347-2323 or fill out the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.

If convicted, Alcaraz faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.