An online tip led investigators to uncover thousands of illicit files and ultimately a federal sentence for a Reno man already required to register as a sex offender.
A Reno man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to 60 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for receiving child sexual abuse material images and videos after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a CyberTip to law enforcement.
The United States Sentencing Guidelines range for this offense was 151 to 188 months. Prosecutors had recommended a 151-month sentence to be followed by lifetime supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning about June 6, 2024, William Alan Barragan Diaz downloaded and possessed images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement served a search warrant at his home and found files on his cell phones. Some of the material involved children under 12 years of age engaged in sexually explicit conduct and intercourse with adults. In total, more than 6,200 images and more than 400 videos were recovered from two electronic devices seized from Diaz.
“A registered sex offender who received thousands of child sexual abuse images and videos was sentenced to the mandatory minimum penalty,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “As part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative to combat child sexual exploitation, we remain committed to working with the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force to protect young children and bring child predators to justice.”
“Mr. Diaz was a serious threat to children due to his repeated exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office. “This sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to justice for vulnerable victims. Few situations are more urgent than when a child is at risk. Those who exploit children cause lasting harm, and possessing and trading child sexual abuse material only continues the abuse.”
In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Diaz will be required to register as a sex offender and keep that registration current.
The case was investigated by the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, the Sparks Police Department, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. St. Clair prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse
