Man gets 25 years in federal prison for production of child pornography

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) –  A man apologized for producing child pornography before he learned his fate.

“I’m a normal person who made a simple mistake,” said 37-year-old Armando Robledo Gonzales in federal court Monday. “I want to apologize for everything that I’ve done,” he said, adding that with “proper help and treatment,” he can change and become a productive member of society.

His mother and spouse were in the courtroom as U.S. District Judge David Ezra sentenced Gonzales to 25 years in federal prison without parole, saying “he’s a danger to children in our community.”

“The 25-year-sentence sends a message that we’re not going to tolerate child exploitation,” said U .S. Attorney John Bash.

Gonzales already is serving a 10-year sentence in a state prison for a previous child sex crime. The sentences will be served consecutively.

The latest case against Gonzales is one of the first investigated by the San Antonio Child Exploitation Task Force comprised of the FBI, San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office working in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“We are doing everything that we can to hunt these monsters down who prey on our children on the internet, who befriend them, who recruit them,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “Online, there’s a recruitment process where they get to our children.  They have them send pictures and videos, then they meet them and have them produce child pornography.”

He pleaded with parents to monitor their children’s activities on social media.

“You have to know the codes to your child’s phones. You should be monitoring their social media to see who they’re talking to,” he explained.

Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Allovio retired from the FBI after 31 years and joined the BCSO.  Deputy Allovio currently is assigned to the San Antonio Child Exploitation Task Force.

“In this particular case, the subject was in contact with the victim at the age of 12 and had that person produce child pornography,” said Allovio. He says there’s another case involving a 15-year-old boy.

“In the case of the 15-year-old, he (Gonzales) was in actual physical contact with the child when Bexar County intervened,” Allovio said.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says while he’s pleased with the 25-year sentence for Gonzales, there are many other child predators out there.

“If you’re victimizing children, the FBI and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s office and our partners in this will find you and we will ruin your day, I can promise you that,” warned Salazar.