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Feds Go After Bronx Daycare Provider for Allegedly Exploiting Child

Silfredo Castillo Martinez was hit with federal child porn production and posession charges. -NYPD Photo

BRONX - The owner of a Bronx daycare center has been hit with federal charges in connection with the sexual exploitation of a minor, producing child pornography as well possessing thousands of images of child porn, prosecutors said. 

The Manhattan US Attorney’s office slapped Silfredo Castillo Martinez with charged of sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography as well as receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. The licensed daycare provider is charged with sexually exploiting and recording an 11-year-old boy in his care at the center. 

In addition a search warrant recovered nearly 10,000 images of child porn, prosecutors said. 

“Silfredo Castillo Martinez’s primary responsibility as a daycare provider was to watch over neighborhood children. Instead, he allegedly abused that role in order to sexually exploit one of the minors under his care,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “During the time when he was supposed to be protecting children, he also allegedly received, distributed, and possessed tens of thousands of images of child pornography. Castillo Martinez’s alleged conduct was unconscionable, and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect the children of our community.” 

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: From in or about July 2015 through in or about at least May 3, 2022, Castillo Martinez operated a licensed daycare facility for children at his residence in the Bronx, New York (the “Daycare Facility”). 

From at least in or about May 2018 through at least in or about July 2018, Castillo Martinez induced an 11-year-old minor (“Minor Victim-1”) who attended the Daycare Facility to engage in sexually explicit conduct at the Daycare Facility, and astillo Martinez recorded that conduct on his cellphone and camera.

On or about May 3, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Castillo Martinez’s residence and seized several electronic devices belonging to Castillo Martinez. Those devices contained, among other things, several images and a video containing child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 and approximately 9,800 other images depicting child pornography.

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Castillo Martinez, 32, of the Bronx, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The minimum and maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

“This investigation highlights the most important function of law enforcement in our society: protecting the vulnerable against criminal predators who would seek to abuse, exploit, and harm them,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Today’s charges affirm, again, that the NYPD and our partners will never abate our efforts to keep children safe – and we will relentlessly pursue anyone who targets them. To that end, I thank and commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, the United States Secret Service, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and every investigator who worked on this important case.”

Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to this investigation should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.