Deming Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation Charges

Former Alamogordo resident and U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso announced the prosecution of a police officer from Deming. He has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Released body camera video showed the arrest of former Deming police officer Jesus Lopez Jr.

Lopez Jr. was arrested in December 2024 after a teen girl reported a sexual relationship with Lopez that turned violent.

After Lopez’s arrest, the feds took over the case, charging him with the Production of Child Pornography related to videos of sexual acts on his phone.

Lopez has been locked up since that arrest. A recent federal court filing suggests a plea could be in the works.

Lopez’s attorney had filed a motion to extend a grand jury indictment citing the possibility of a plea agreement.

According to court records, between March and November 2024, Jesus Lopez, Jr., 35, a Deming Police Department officer, engaged in illegal sexual conduct with a minor, Jane Doe. Despite knowing Jane Doe was under the age of 18, Lopez participated in and recorded sexually explicit acts with her on multiple occasions. The investigation revealed that Lopez received more than ten images and videos of child pornography from Jane Doe.

Lopez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. At sentencing, Lopez faces between five and 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to not less than five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

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