A Des Moines man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for possession of child pornography, according to a news release from the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Filipe DeJesus Torres Villasenor, 44, was arrested in November after Des Moines police received notice from social media companies he had more than 20 videos on his phone depicting sex abuse and child pornography. He was sentenced Monday, June 16 after entering an Alford plea to 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor on April 23.
An Alford plea maintains the defendant’s innocence, but acknowledges prosecutors likely have enough evidence to convict them.
DeJesus Torres Villasenor, who had no prior criminal history, said via an interpreter in court that he was remorseful for his actions, and while he acknowledged visiting the website the videos came from, he maintained that he did not download them voluntarily, according to the news release.
His attorney asked for a suspended sentence of five years and noted that because of his undocumented status, it is likely he would be deported. Kevin Bell, the assistant county attorney, argued that DeJesus Torres Villasenor should face 65 years in prison, questioning the defendant’s statement that the videos were downloaded on accident.
Judge David Porter handed down a 50-year sentence, ruling some charges will be served consecutively while others will be served concurrently.
“Society’s highest obligation is to protect its children,” Porter said.
Porter also said defendants like DeJesus Torres Villasenor “create a marketplace for child pornography,” according to the news release.
“You create this outlet,” he said. “Therefore, you victimize not just the children on those videos, but children going forward.”
Norah Judson is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at njudson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines man gets 50 years in prison for possession of child pornography
Reporting by Norah Judson, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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