ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Falls Church was sentenced today to six years and five months in prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal.
According to court documents, Roni Mendez Escobar, 33, has been removed from the United States three times since a final a final order of removal dated Aug. 24, 2015. On Oct. 23, 2025, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Mendez Escobar had been detained at the Fairfax Detention Center.
A forensic review of Mendez Escobar’s electronic devices revealed his collection of 46 images and 65 videos containing CSAM. Mendez Escobar used WhatsApp to encourage others to consume CSAM and chat and video-call young girls. Mendez Escobar also used WhatsApp to distribute CSAM, including depictions of the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. Mendez Escobar intentionally and repeatedly viewed, downloaded, and possessed images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from at least October 2024 to August 2025.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert Guadian, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington, D.C., comprises agents and officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Washington Baltimore HIDTA, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-cr-95.