Armed Illegal Alien from Mexico Faces Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - An illegal alien from Mexico is facing multiple child sexual exploitation charges and a firearms offense, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment, charging Francisco Rosales Ortiz, 41, with 10 counts of production of CSAM, possession and access with intent to view CSAM, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien.

According to allegations in the indictment, between June 2025 and March 2026, in Gaston County, Ortiz attempted to, and did, use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct multiple times for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the sexual abuse. It is further alleged that during that time, Ortiz also knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The indictment also alleges that Ortiz illegally possessed three firearms, two pistols and a rifle, while being an alien unlawfully and illegally in the United States.

"We are not going to stand by while illegal aliens come to our country and exploit our children," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. "There are plenty of people in line to legally come to the United States. They should not be forced to the back of the line for someone like Ortiz, who is charged with sexually abusing a child and illegally possessing firearms."

"Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting our communities from those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable among us-our children. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who commit these heinous crimes," said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. "We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that offenders are held accountable and that our neighborhoods remain safe places for children to grow and thrive."

If convicted, Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 325 years in prison, which includes 30 years in prison for each count of production of CSAM; up to 10 years in prison for possession and access with intent to view CSAM; and a maximum of 15 years in prison for the firearms offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

The charges against the defendant are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was brought 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 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.