Houston man gets 45 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children online, child porn

HOUSTON - A 42-year-old Houston-area man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison after admitting to victimizing children online for more than a decade, officials say.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Patrick Tran, of Cypress, was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography in October.

The charges

The backstory:

Officials say Tran admitted to victimizing minors online for more than 10 years.

Tran was accused of enticing 23 different children on a video chat site to take off their clothes, screen-recording the acts. Federal authorities say he used the videos to extort the children into sending more videos, threatening to expose or harm them.

Officials say the investigation officially began in October 2020 when a relative reported suspicious communications indicating Tran had directed a minor to send nude photos.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, forensic examinations of Tran's seized devices revealed approximately 650 videos depicting children—some under the age of 10—engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

FBI Houston led the investigation.

Sentenced to decades in prison

By the numbers:

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Tran to a total of 540 months in federal prison.

He was also ordered to pay over $108,000 in restitution to one of the victims.

After his sentence is complete, he will serve the rest of his life on supervised release with strict requirements restricting his internet access and contact with children. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

What they're saying:

During the sentencing hearing, the court considered numerous victim impact statements. One victim testified that Tran made her feel like an object that he abused physically and mentally without ever touching. She also disclosed that the nightmare led her to contemplate suicide as her only way out.

What's next:

Tran will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.