Source: US FBI
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico andSpecial Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office Devin J. Kowalski, announced that a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Henry Manuel Sepúlveda-Cruzado, age 35, of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, with production and possession of child pornography material. On June 5, 2025, FBI special agents arrested Sepúlveda-Cruzado.
According to court documents, between approximately November 2023 and February 2024, Henry Manuel Sepúlveda-Cruzado knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. During this period, the defendant also possessed child pornography material involving the minor on his electronic device.
If convicted, Sepúlveda-Cruzado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, and up to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The sexual abuse of children is intolerable and victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue working to identify, arrest and prosecute those who steal the innocence of our children.”
“There is no place in our communities for predators who exploit children—none,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, Devin J. Kowalski. “The FBI will hunt these criminals down and ensure they are held fully accountable for their heinous acts. The public can rest assured that we will not hesitate, and we will not relent. To those targeting our youth, we’re coming for you. The FBI and our partners will make sure you face justice.”
The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Elba Gorbea of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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