Former Texas sheriff's deputy sentenced for producing, possessing child pornography
Texas - A 29-year-old resident of Beeville has been sentenced for crimes related to child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Pasquale Salas, a former deputy with the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office at the time of his crimes, pleaded guilty to the production and possession of child pornography on June 6.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown ordered him to serve 30 years for the production conviction and an additional two years for the possession conviction, 32 years in total. These sentences will run consecutively. The court emphasized that Salas's status as a law enforcement officer heavily influenced this decision.
Salas will also have to serve 15 years on supervised release once his prison sentence ends. During this time, he must adhere to various requirements aimed at restricting his access to children and the internet and is required to register as a sex offender.
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The U.S. Attorney's Office says Salas was previously sentenced to 220 months in a related case in the District of Massachusetts. The term imposed on Tuesday will run concurrently with that sentence.
"Salas used Minecraft, a child’s game, to lure some of his victims inside his vicious web," said Hamdani. "Not only did he exploit young girls, but he also violated the public trust. He was a law enforcement officer who was sworn to protect and serve. Instead, he chose to manipulate and exploit young girls for his own deviant sexual gratification. The sentence handed down today will make sure he can’t access the places our children play online or have contact with them in person for decades to come."
FBI Houston Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez commented, "For years, Pasquale Salas controlled, manipulated, sexually assaulted, and remotely monitored his underage victims. Salas disgracefully used his status as a Texas lawman to threaten young girls into sending hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos. Thanks to the bravery of his victims who came forward, Salas now sits behind bars unable to ever again target, threaten, or molest other children."
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Authorities learned Salas was talking to began talking to a 12-year-old minor in Massachusetts and had continued to do so for years which led to an investigation. Salas met the young girl and another minor online while playing Minecraft.
He began a controlling, manipulative, and sexually exploitative relationship with the victim over the years and was aware of her real age. He engaged in a virtual, sexually explicit relationship with the child.
Court records say he got her to send hundreds of nude photos and videos of herself, imposed strict rules, and dictated her clothing choices. He also tracked her location and threatened her well-being and that of her family if she attempted to break free.
In July 2019, authorities executed a search warrant in Texas as part of the Massachusetts investigation and discovered incriminating evidence on his phone, including child pornography involving several minor females, including a minor female relative of his.
According to officials, forensic analysis revealed Salas produced the images of the relative and the victim identified herself and Salas's hands in the images and videos. In one video, he appears to be fondling the victim, who is asleep in all the images and videos, authorities say.
Salas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future.