Las Vegas man sentenced 35 yrs for child sexual abuse
By a Biometrica staffer
A man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a child, producing images of the sexual abuse, and possessing hundreds of images and videos of the sexual assaults.
Andres Rafael Viola, an Argentine citizen living in Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography in February. In addition to imprisonment, Viola was sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release by District Judge Richard F. Boulware II, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement.
Viola has to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). His sentence also includes a $10,000 assessment pursuant to the Justice of Victims of Trafficking Act.
The case was investigated by the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).
Safeguarding children from being victimized by predators is a top priority for ICE and Homeland Security Investigations. We are most appreciative of the collaborative partnership with the LVMPD – together, we will continue to scour our society of these aberrant people.
HSI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge Francisco Burrola
In May 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Yahoo Inc that a user received child pornography sent by Viola, who was using the dark web Tor network to distribute images of child sexual assault.
On June 7, 2019, federal law enforcement arrested Viola at his Las Vegas residence. They determined that Viola had supervisory control over a child victim. A forensic examination of electronic devices that were seized from his home revealed nearly 350 child pornography images and video, including Viola’s sexual exploitation of the child victim and a curated collection of child pornography from other victims.
For the hands-on offenses related to the child victim, Viola pleaded guilty in Nevada state court to one count of sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.