An Alexandria man who was already under court supervision for a previous child pornography conviction has been found guilty of continuing to distribute and possess child sexual abuse material through a mobile messaging app.
Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41, was convicted Wednesday on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession following a bench trial in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years due to his 2013 conviction for similar crimes.
Federal investigators began tracking Gonzalez in April 2024 after receiving reports that someone was distributing child sexual abuse material through Kik, a mobile-based messaging platform, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Court documents show Gonzalez sent dozens of explicit images of children, including toddlers, to multiple users on the platform.
The evidence against Gonzalez included chat records in which he told another user that his “two favorite things are rape and kids,” according to testimony presented during the trial.
“This defendant continued to sexually exploit children online while on court-ordered supervision, following an earlier conviction for similar conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the tireless efforts and enduring dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, this defendant has been held accountable for his continued exploitation of children.”
Gonzalez was previously convicted in 2013 in the Eastern District of Virginia for the distribution of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia said Gonzalez knew the consequences of his actions.
“Following his previous conviction for child sexual abuse material, Antonio Gonzalez knew what he was doing was illegal and knew the consequences,” Siebert said. “Instead of embracing a respect for the law and the vulnerable lives it protects, Gonzalez returned to his previous crimes with no regards for those harmed by sexual exploitation.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia.
