Central Falls Man Facing up to 80 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

PROVIDENCE, RI – A Central Falls man, who today admitted to a federal court judge that he used a young child under the age of four for the purpose of producing sexually explicit videos, is facing up to 80 years in federal prison when he sentenced in September.

Jose Cortes, 40, admitted to the court that on at least two dates between December 2013 and December 2015, he used a female child who was between approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years old to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The sexually explicit images included graphic images of and sexual contact with the child, and of a male’s genitalia next to the child’s head.  Cortes admitted that he stored and shared the images on several electronic devices in his control. 

An investigation led by the Central Falls Police Department, with the assistance of the Rhode Island State Police and Homeland Security Investigations, included a forensic audit of some of the electronic devices seized from Cortes. Several thousand images and videos of child pornography were discovered.

Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith, Cortes pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Central Falls Police Chief Colonel Daniel J. Barzykowski, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael S. Shea.

Cortes is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2020. Each count of sexual exploitation of a child is punishable by between 15 and 30 years in federal prison. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in the prosecution of this matter.