The seal of the U.S. Justice Department is seen on the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
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A Fresno man was sentenced Monday to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced Tuesday.
Monico Erich Gastelo, 44, will serve 15 years of supervised release after his prison term, during which he will face restrictions on access to children, computers, and the internet. He also must pay $40,000 in fines and register as a sex offender upon release.
He pleaded guilty on May 28 to charges of sexual exploitation of children and distribution and receipt of child pornography.
Court documents show Gastelo created a social media account in January 2019 posing as an 18-year-old to communicate with minors and solicit sexually explicit content.
In 2020, he used platforms including Wickr, Snapchat, and Telegram to exchange child sexual abuse material with other offenders. Forensic examination of his devices revealed more than 1,500 images and videos.
In May 2020, a minor reported being exploited online. Gastelo sent explicit images and encouraged the victim to provide additional child sexual abuse material.
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