Gallup, NM – Gallup Firefighter, Andres Garcia, was arrested by the New Mexico Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Division for possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), including Sexual Exploitation of Children Under the Age of 13 (NMSA 1978, Section 30-6A-3).
“Someone who was tasked with protecting our community chose to harm the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “This should serve as a stark reminder of how easily children can become victims of very dangerous situations by the adults around them. If you see or hear something that doesn’t sit right with you regarding an adult and child, speak up – report it to local law enforcement – don’t stay silent.”
This investigation is part of the Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The investigation was also brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Division’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture internet child sexual predators and internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Division, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Department of Justice. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
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