Former federal inmate sentenced to 30 years for his third child pornography violation
PLANO, Texas – A former federal inmate will return to federal prison for 30 years for his third child pornography violation, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Keanu Deavan Wesley Ortiz, 32, of Vernon, Texas, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on May 11, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in the fall of 2024, Ortiz was subject to federal supervision, following his release from the Bureau of Prisons for a child pornography conviction. During that time, he engaged in online communications with another sex offender in which he discussed his sexual interest in children and child pornography. Ortiz ultimately distributed child pornography to the sex offender, who was then located in the Eastern District of Texas. The distributed video files depicted prepubescent females (including infant and toddler-aged children) being subjected to violent sexual abuse. As part of his plea, Ortiz admitted to distributing the child pornography videos in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, between September 2024 and April 2025. This is Ortiz’ third federal conviction for child pornography violations.
This case is 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
