Wilmington Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges Involving an 11-Year-Old

WILMINGTON, Del. - Federal agents arrested a Wilmington man on August 21, 2026, on charges of production of child pornography, attempted receipt of child pornography, and transfer of obscene material to a minor in connection with the FBI's Summer Heat 2.0 initiative.

According to court documents, Vincent Valdivieso, 22, exchanged text messages with an 11-year-old victim in which he lied about his own age, repeatedly requested sexually explicit photographs, and attempted to arrange an in-person meeting with the victim. Over FaceTime and at Valdivieso's direction, the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct while Valdivieso masturbated.

Valdivieso is charged in a criminal complaint with production of child pornography and attempting to produce child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a) and (e); attempted receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b); and transfer of obscene material to a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1470. If convicted, Valdivieso faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The FBI's Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Street Task Force and Delaware State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is prosecuting the case.

The FBI launched "Summer Heat" for the second year in a row, targeting violent crime on a nationwide scale. It launched this multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside federal, state, and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, the FBI seeks to aggressively restore safety in communities across the country.

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 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District CourtLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. for the District of Delaware or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 26-mj-442.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.