AUSTIN –Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Cyber Crimes Unit today arrested Jose Alejandro Aranda, 39, at his Austin residence. A federal grand jury indicted Aranda earlier this month on two counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of child pornography transportation, and three counts of child pornography possession. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is prosecuting the case.

“The defendant is charged with possessing and distributing thousands of images and videos of child pornography,” Attorney General Abbott said. “The Cyber Crimes Unit is committed to cracking down on criminals who prey upon Texas children. We are grateful to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to Texas children.”

The Cyber Crimes Unit began investigating Aranda in January 2009. According to investigators, a forensic analysis of Aranda’s home computers uncovered more than 20,000 illicit images and hundreds of child pornography videos.

The case originated through Project Flicker, an April 2006 initiative by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center. Project Flicker has identified thousands of commercial child pornography Web site subscribers.

Attorney General Abbott has earned a national reputation for aggressively arresting and prosecuting child predators. Since 2003, the Cyber Crimes Unit and Fugitive Unit have arrested more than 1,000 sex predators. Prosecutors also have obtained convictions against 100 defendants on child pornography charges.

For more information about Attorney General Abbott’s efforts to protect Texas children, visit the agency’s Web site at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov

Read more and view the video of Aranda’s arrest at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=3018