Central Falls man faces 80 years in federal prison for child exploitation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) A Central Falls man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography, U.S. attorney Aaron Weisman announced in a statement today.

Forty-year-old Jose Cortes admitted in court to producing, storing, and sharing graphic images of a child between the ages of two and three-years-old, between  the years 2013 and 2015.

A subsequent investigation by the Central Falls Police Department, assisted by the Rhode Island State Police and the Homeland Security Investigations, yielded thousands of images and videos of child pornography on electronic equipment belonging to Cortes, Weisman said.

Pleading guilty to two charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, Cortes faces between 15 and 30 years for each offense. Cortes also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, which could result in another 20  years in federal prison.

Cortes will be sentenced September 18.

©WLNE-TV/ABC 6 2020