HSI Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force investigation results in the sentencing of a convicted sex offender for uploading child pornography to Google accounts

MCALLEN, Texas – A South Texas man was sentenced for uploading child pornography following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force.

Oscar Ramirez Jr, 38, from McAllen, was sentenced March 27 to 180 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Ramirez had approximately 2,070 files of child pornography, of which 64 were videos. Some videos were more than 20 minutes long.

In handing down the prison terms, the court reviewed victims’ letters and noted child pornography is not a victimless crime and the victims will continue to suffer lifelong consequences because of the abuse.

Ramirez was further ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to known victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.

The court also heard that Ramirez was previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 2010. He will again be ordered to register as a sex offender following this sentence. Ramirez pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023.

“The Oscar Ramirez sentence today sets the tone for how we will handle child predators in our state," said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “If you harm a child, we will investigate you, we will arrest you, and with help from our U.S. attorney’s office partners, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We urge our South Texas community to remain vigilant against child predators and to immediately report suspected cases of violence against children to HSI."

According to court documents, in July 2022, law enforcement received information involving an individual uploading multiple files of child pornography to a Google account on or about May 4, 2022. Authorities determined the IP address associated with this activity belonged to Ramirez. A review of the Google accounts associated with Ramirez revealed images and videos of child pornography. Ramirez also had images and videos of a nude minor. Ramirez had made these recordings from outside a window as well as from a vent in the ceiling of a bathroom. In September 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his residence in McAllen. At that time, Ramirez identified himself in his Google account videos.

Ramirez will remain in custody pending a transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 866-347-2423. The tipline is staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the United States and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Learn more about HSI’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSI_SanAntonio.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)