Fresno Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation Offenses
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - Monico Erich Gastelo, 44, of Fresno, California, was sentenced yesterday after being convicted of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt and distribution of child pornography. The Court sentenced Gastelo to 40 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release, during which time Gastelo’s access to children, computers, and the internet will be restricted. He was also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life upon his release from custody.
According to court documents, in January 2019, Gastelo created a social media account in which he pretended to be an 18-year-old boy to enhance his chances of connecting with minors. Gastelo used the account and others to converse with minors — some of whom disclosed that they were 12 years-old — and repeatedly demanded sexually explicit content from them.
Between Jan. 1, 2020, and March 23, 2020, Gastelo began communicating on messaging platforms with other individuals sexually attracted to children. He sent and received multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on these platforms, describing the type of videos and images he preferred, including requesting videos of sex acts performed by toddlers. Forensic review of Gastelo’s phones revealed that he had more than 1,500 images and videos of CSAM saved on his device.
Gastelo’s conduct escalated in May 2020. A minor victim disclosed to law enforcement that he had been sexually exploited online and that an individual later identified as Gastelo had added him as a friend on social media. Gastelo had sent over a dozen images of his genitalia to this minor victim and insisted the minor reciprocate.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.
The Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
Source: Justice.gov
