PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher M. Arguelles, 34, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison today and a lifetime of supervised release as a federal sex offender.  On November 15, 2018, Arguelles pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography.  The sentence was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In February 2018, while a telecommunications provider was assisting Arguelles with his slow running cellular telephone, the provider observed a large amount of pornography on the phone, including a folder titled “underage.”  Several days later, Arguelles, a sex offender, was arrested for failure to register a change in his residence, and his cellular telephone was seized.  A forensic review of the device revealed images and videos of child pornography both on the phone and on the memory card.  Examples of subfolder titles were “Sammy 14 yo,” “15yo Jen,” and “14 year old Erin.”  Some of the child pornography involved females under age 12.  Arguelles also maintained a cloud storage account with similar illicit materials.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “I am proud that prosecutors, law enforcement professionals, and North Floridians are all working together to bring child predators to justice and protect the most innocent members of our communities from exploitation.”

“This case highlights the value of vigilance by members of the community, who come forward and work with law enforcement when they see something wrong,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.  “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to working together to protect and serve, but we are far more effective when the community also works with us.  We appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in the case, and their unwavering commitment to protect our children.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher M. Arguelles, 34, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola to possession and access with intent to view child pornography.  The guilty plea was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In February 2018, while a telecommunications provider was assisting Arguelles with his slow running cellular telephone, they observed a large amount of pornography on the phone, including a folder titled “underage.”  Several days later, Arguelles, a sex offender, was arrested for failure to register a change in his residence, and his cellular telephone was seized.  A forensic review of the device revealed images and videos of child pornography both on the phone and on the memory card.  Examples of subfolder titles were “Sammy 14 yo,” “15yo Jen,” and “14 year old Erin.”  Some of the child pornography involved females under age 12.  Arguelles also maintained a cloud storage account with similar illicit materials.

For possession and access with intent to view child pornography, Arguelles faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 25, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.