Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jesus Rojas Vera (25, Fort Myers) to 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for distribution of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Vera was also ordered to register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on October 6, 2023.
According to court documents, beginning in June 2021, and continuing through July 27, 2022, several social media applications provided CyberTips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to report that Vera was involved in the possession and distribution of child sex abuse material on various social media platforms.
On November 8, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Vera’s residence and seized his cellphone and laptop. In addition, agents spoke with Vera who admitted that the cellphone belonged to him and no one else used it. Vera also admitted to using the various social media accounts, and he provided his email address.
On December 2, 2022, the FBI obtained a search warrant for information associated with Vera’s cloud account and email address. There were 59 images and 75 videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Further, investigators located child sexual abuse material that Vera had sent within group messages using his social media account. On August 7, 2022, Vera participated in a chat on social media with other participants. He sent a video of a child being sexually abused to the participants in the group chat.
The subsequent forensic examination of Vera’s cellphone and laptop revealed child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Lee County Sheriff’s Office that assisted with this investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
