Kennewick man jailed on child pornography charges

SPOKANE, Wash.-- A Kennewick man accused of seeking out young girls and asking them to send pornographic photos has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office out of Spokane, Jesus "Chewy" Rodriguez pleaded guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography, but prosecutors say the man's actions went beyond downloading child pornography from the internet. Rodriguez is accused of reaching out to more than a dozen girls and young women, some as young as 12 years old, and asking them to take and send him pornographic photos of themselves.

In at least two cases, Rodriguez arranged to meet with girls, one 14-years old, the other 15-years old, where he engaged in illicit sexual activity with the girls, providing them cell phones and pot in exchange. Prosecutors say while engaging in sexually activity with the 14-year old, Rodriguez had a firearm in the truck.

Rodriguez had previously been convicted for having sex with a minor female, and served a 21-month sentence in Benton County.

"The sentence imposed today sends a strong message to anyone who may try to exploit children for sexual gratification," said United States Attorney William D. Hyslop. "It is a priority of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington to prosecute anyone who traffics in child pornography or meets up with minors in person for sex. These crimes will be actively investigated by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers."