A 32-year-old Kissimmee man has been indicted by a grand jury on one count of transporting child sexual abuse material.
On Thursday, July 24, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Kissimmee resident Angel Manuel Gallardo Candelari has been charged with transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In addition, prosecutors intend to forfeit a cellphone that was allegedly used by Gallardo Candelari during the commission of the crime.
The indictment alleges that on or around Tuesday, July 8, Gallardo Candelari “knowingly transported CSAM” within the Middle District of Florida, which stretches over 350 miles from the Georgia border on the northeast to south of Naples on Florida’s southwest coast.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
If convicted, Gallardo Candelari would face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years, up to 20 years, in federal prison.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Lyons.
Additionally, this case was brought as 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.