Army Lieutenant Colonel Pleads Guilty Possessing Kiddie Porn
Army Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Ali Cerda Pleads Guilty To Possessing Kiddie Porn Pictures And Videos
Former US Army Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Ali Cerda
Former US Army Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Ali Cerda pleaded guilty to kiddie porn charges in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale.
Police received a tip that Cerda was sharing the images and videos on the messaging app Kik. As a result, law enforcement executed a residential search warrant at Cerda’s home on March 10, 2021.
An examination of Cerda’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of children under 12 years of age. One of the victims was as young as four years old.
The complaint states that Cerda claimed he was only in Kik chat groups sharing the material for about two months. He said it was “something new.”
Cerda also claimed he “deleted everything when it became too much and the videos were too young.”
Forensic evidence also revealed that Cerda shared some of the images within a group chat. As a result of the evidence, law enforcement officers arrested Cerda at his Cooper City home.
US District Judge Rodney Smith has scheduled a sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2024.
As a result, Cerda faces up to 20 years in federal prison. In addition, he faces up to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami and BSO investigated the case with assistance from FDLE and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
No Comments