FBI News:ALBUQUERQUE ― David Abrisz, 55, of Albuquerque pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges.
The guilty plea was entered under a plea agreement that recommends that Abrisz be sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. Abrisz, a previously convicted child sex offender, will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Abrisz was arrested Aug. 11, 2016, on a four-count indictment charging him one count of distributing child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. The indictment charged Abrisz with distributing child pornography from July 2013 through Dec. 2015, and possessing child pornography on two computers and a thumb drive from Aug. 2014 through Feb. 2016. According to the indictment, Abrisz committed the offenses in Bernalillo County.
During today’s proceedings, Abrisz pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with distributing child pornography and Counts 2 through 4 of the indictment charging him possessing child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Abrisz admitted committing the following criminal acts:
- Distributing approximately 80 child pornography files from July 2013 through Dec. 2015;
- Possessing a computer that contained approximately two video files and 880 image files of child pornography from Dec. 2014 through Feb. 2015;
- Possessing a second computer that contained approximately 145 image files of child pornography from Dec. 2014 through Feb. 2015; and
- Possessing a thumb drive that contained approximately 147 video files and one image file of child pornography from Aug. 2014 through Feb. 2015, Abrisz.
Court records reflect that Abrisz has seven prior convictions for sexual offenses including two convictions for attempted criminal sexual penetration of a child under the age of 13, and five convictions for criminal sexual contact of a child under the age of 13. Abrisz remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/(link is external).
Abrisz also is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
