DC Man Pleads Guilty to Child Porn, Child Sex Abuse Charges

Rolando de la Rocha, 42, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty last week to one charge of production of child pornography and another charge of first-degree child sexual abuse, according to the FBI.

De la Rocha pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the FBI said. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2015.

The child pornography charge, a federal offense, carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years, according to authorities. First-degree child sexual abuse, a District of Columbia offense, carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison, the FBI said. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties, the FBI noted. De la Rocha also will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 25 years, authorities said. Here’s more information about the incident, according to a news release from the FBI:

According to the government’s evidence, de la Rocha was the former boyfriend of the girl’s mother, and had lived with the family in Northwest Washington until January 2014. In May of 2015, the girl’s mother called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to report that she had discovered a recording in which de la Rocha is seen sexually assaulting her child. A subsequent examination of de la Rocha’s cellphone led to the discovery of videos depicting two such incidents.

A warrant was issued for the defendant’s arrest, and de la Rocha was arrested on May 29, 2015. He admitted to police that he produced the recordings and said that he had set up an iPad to film the sexual acts in the girl’s room without her knowledge. The girl told police about several incidents that took place when she was 12 or 13, and that ended in 2013. She expressed a fear of talking to police but ultimately agreed to an interview about the defendant’s conduct.

De la Rocha has been in custody since his arrest, according to the FBI.

In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including those from the Third District and the Youth Investigations Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who is prosecuting the case.