Merced man sentenced in child sex abuse material case. Here’s what he got
A 36-year-old Merced man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for the receipt and distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, the U.S. attorney in Fresno announced Friday.
Joel Damian Ortega was arrested in 2021 and indicted a federal grand jury in 2024.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that court documents indicate Ortega used a Samsung Galaxy smartphone to receive and distribute at least one visual depiction of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct between Jan. 26 and July 7, 2024.
Additionally, on April 2, 2024, authorities said Ortega used an iPhone to receive at least one visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the news release.
Ortega pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
