A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, a Honduran citizen unlawfully present in the United States, on April 24 of multiple counts related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of three minors. Lopez-Guevara, age 39, was found guilty of 14 counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address child sexual exploitation and protect vulnerable victims. According to court documents presented at trial, Lopez-Guevara abused three minors between the ages of two and eleven from 2015 through 2024. He produced images and videos depicting himself with the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct; many were later discovered on the dark web.
The investigation began in December 2024 when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Portland, Maine observed new videos containing child sexual abuse material online. After identifying one victim as residing in Maryland, HSI referred the matter to its Maryland office. On December 12, search warrants led investigators to recover two phones belonging to Lopez-Guevara that contained additional evidence involving all three minor victims as well as hundreds more illicit images associated with an encrypted messaging application.
Lopez-Guevara faces a minimum sentence of fifteen years and up to thirty years for each count of sexual exploitation of a child, along with up to twenty years for possession charges. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Richard D. Bennett on July 28 at 11 a.m., where statutory factors will be considered alongside U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006—which coordinates resources among federal, state, and local agencies nationwide against child exploitation crimes. More information about this program can be found at justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland employs over two hundred personnel across civil, criminal, and administrative divisions according to the official website. The office prosecutes federal crimes—including those involving public safety—and handles civil cases for nearly six million residents across Maryland according to its official website. It also traces its origins back to legislation enacted in 1789 according to its official website.
