A Bronx man has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, according to an announcement by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton. Carlos Rivas was taken into custody following the unsealing of a complaint that alleges he possessed hundreds of images and videos depicting pre-pubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rivas was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
“As alleged, Carlos Rivas possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography while working at a Bronx school,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Child pornography has no place anywhere in our society, particularly anywhere connected to a school. Our devoted prosecutors and partners will unrelentingly fight this scourge.”
The complaint states that during the summer of 2024, Rivas worked at a school in the Bronx identified as “School-1.” Between July 14 and August 15, 2024, he allegedly stored hundreds of illicit images and videos on his account with an electronic service provider’s file storage service. Some material was reportedly uploaded from an Internet Protocol address linked to School-1.
Rivas, age 22, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years old. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. Sentencing decisions will be made by a judge.
Jay Clayton commended Homeland Security Investigations for their work on the case. The prosecution is being managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita Maxwell from the General Crimes Unit.
Authorities emphasized that these charges are accusations only, and Rivas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
