Yuma Border Patrol agent charged with child pornography and exploitation offenses
Nereo Mejia Gomez is a Border Patrol agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection
PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) - A grand jury indicted a Yuma man for multiple child pornography-related offenses.
41-year-old Nereo Mejia Gomez was charged on Tuesday with offenses that include Production of Child Pornography and multiple counts of Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography
Additionally, he was charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm which happened to be a short-barreled rifle.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said a federal Magistrate Judge ordered Gomez to be released pending trial.
According to the indictment, it alleges that between November 2022 and March 2023, Gomez produced child pornography four times that involved a girl who was aged 15 and 16.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the indictment also alleges that Gomez distributed child pornography five times in February and March 2024 while using a facility of interstate commerce.
It also alleges that Gomez possessed child pornography and an unregistered firearm in April 2024.Â
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Production of Child Pornography carries a potential sentence of 15-30 years in prison.
While Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Possession of an Unregistered Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
All child exploitation counts also carry a potential fine of up to $250K and a lifetime term of supervised release, said the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution, and the Border Patrol Yuma Sector has been cooperating in the investigation.
