EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two cousins from the El Paso region pled guilty and were sentenced to prison last month after they both distributed child pornography to each other, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
According to court documents, Ryan Gallardo, 23, from Las Cruces, and Yamil Pillado, 22, from El Paso pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography in July. Gallardo was sentenced to 20 years in prison along with 25 years of supervision. Pillado was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison along with 20 years of supervision.
L to R: Yamil Pillado, 22, from El Paso. Ryan Gallardo, 23, from Las Cruces.
In April 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pillado’s home where they found several video files of young girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct on his cellphone, according to the Office of the Third Judicial District Attorney.
Pillado, who resides in El Paso, gave a statement affirming that he obtained most of the child exploitive materials from his cousin Gallardo. Pillado was then arrested and charged in Texas, according to the Office of the Third Judicial District Attorney.
Law enforcement officials executed another search warrant at Gallardo’s apartment in Las Cruces where his phone was found. Evidence was then obtained from WhatsApp and Gallardo was identified as the account owner. Gallardo was arrested in May 2023.
The material included conversations, sexual videos, and images that were exchanged by both men spanning from 2022 through April 2023, according to the Office of the Third Judicial District Attorney.
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