Modesto man pleads guilty to filming, distributing sexually explicit videos of child
A Modesto man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Eastern California U.S. District Attorney’s Office.
Anthony Rodriguez, a 34-year-old also known as Anthony Rito Lara, used a cell phone in September and October 2020 to take 100 sexually explicit images and videos of a child under 12, according to court documents. Some of the videos, including one where he and the child engage in a sexual act, were then distributed online.
The Modesto Police Department and FBI investigated the case with help from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, the release said. It is part of Project Safe Childhood, a 15-year-old Department of Justice initiative to stop child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.
Rodriguez’s expected sentencing date is Sept. 24. He faces 15 to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the two counts, according to the release.
