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A 13th District Judicial Court judge sentenced Anthony Maestas to 30.5 years in prison, the maximum sentence possible under his plea agreement, for child abuse and possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Maestas plead guilty to two counts of child abuse, manufacturing visual medium of sexual exploitation of children, possession of visual medium of sexual exploitation (child under 13) and voyeurism (victim under 18) in January.
“Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important responsibilities we have in this state,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Thanks to the expertise and persistence of our team, another dangerous predator has been removed from our community. These cases are a reminder of how critical this work is, and I’m grateful to the Court and our prosecutors and investigators for ensuring this individual is now behind bars.”
The NMDOJ’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received a cybertip that led to an IP address and physical address connected to Maestas. The unit executed a search warrant and subsequently arrested the defendant after agents discovered a significant amount of CSAM on his electronic devices. The unit’s investigation not only revealed that the defendant was in possession of CSAM, but also that he had sexually abused at least two children – a family member and a neighbor – as a juvenile.
After serving his sentence the defendant will be required to complete a parole term of 5-20 years.
The investigation was brought as a part of the NMDOJ’s ICAC Division, whose mission 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 NMDOJ. 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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