Fresno man sentenced to 40 years for sexual exploitation of children
A Fresno man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Monico Erich Gastelo, 44, created a social media account in January 2019 where he pretended to be an 18-year-old boy. Gastelo used the account to talk with younger people and convince them to send him sexually explicit content.
Between January and March 2020, Gastelo began using messaging apps, including Wickr, Snapchat, and Telegram, with other individuals who are sexually attracted to children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. He sent and received multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on these platforms.
A forensic review of Gastelo’s phones uncovered more than 1,500 images and videos of suspected CSAM.
Federal prosecutors will require Gastelo to be under supervised release for 15 years after he completes his prison sentence. During that time, Gastelo’s access to children, computers, and the internet will be restricted. He was also ordered to pay $40,000 in financial penalties, and he must register as a sex offender upon his release from custody.
According to court documents, Gastelo’s conduct escalated in May 2020 after a minor victim told law enforcement that he had been sexually exploited online and that an individual later identified as Gastelo had added him as a friend on Snapchat. Gastelo sent over a dozen images of his penis to this minor victim and enticed the victim to send back CSAM, according to court records.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that includes the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower prosecuted the case.
