Texas Man Charged for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Nine-Year-Old Child via Social Media Platform

On October 9, 2026, the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana charged Joseph Leyva, 19, of Castroville, Texas, by criminal complaint with Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material. If convicted, Leyva faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of up to 30 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Leyva allegedly communicated with a nine-year-old child via social media and attempted to persuade the child to create sexually explicit visual material. The minor victim resides within the Western District of Louisiana, and the investigation began after the child's parent reported suspicious activity to local authorities. Law enforcement then investigated the communications and identified Leyva as the person allegedly communicating with the minor.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Bordelon, with assistance from Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is 6:26-mj-00247.

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