Mexican National Receives 12-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Receiving Child Pornography

Saul Salazar-Leon, 46, of Mexico, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on May 11, 2026, for receiving child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced in a Department of Justice release.

The sentence applies to one individual convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. Federal law sets a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years for receipt of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A. The 12-year term falls within that range and includes a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment.

Salazar-Leon must also register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Prior to sentencing the defendant faced a range calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines that permitted the 12-year term ultimately imposed. The new state replaces any potential pretrial or presentence detention with a fixed 144-month period of incarceration beginning on the date of the judgment.

Supervised release begins immediately upon release from the Bureau of Prisons facility to which he is designated.

The sentence requires the Bureau of Prisons to designate an appropriate facility within 30 days and begins the clock on forfeiture of any devices used to commit the offense. Upon release, the U.S. Probation Office for the District of Idaho must enforce conditions that bar possession of sexually explicit material involving minors, restrict internet use, and mandate participation in a sex-offense treatment program.

Federal authorities will also monitor compliance with sex-offender registration requirements in any jurisdiction where Salazar-Leon later resides. The conviction counts as a predicate offense that can support future enhancements if additional crimes occur.

This case is one of multiple child-pornography prosecutions handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho in the past 24 months. The Department of Justice has pursued such cases under the same statutes since the 2006 Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act expanded mandatory minimums and supervised-release terms for receipt offenses.

Congress has not altered the core penalties in 18 U.S.C. § 2252A during the current session.