Alex Ernesto Calderon Velasquez, 27, of Reston has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly producing child pornography through filming a 14-year-old girl engaging in sexual activity through Skype.

The charges were announced by Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Lt. Colonel James A. Morris, Acting Fairfax County Chief of Police.

Calderon Velasquez was indicted on Feb. 26 on four counts of production of child pornography. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He also was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office statement.

According to the indictment and other court documents, and as a result of a cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, law enforcement authorities identified communications and online chat logs between Calderon Velasquez and a 14-year-old girl in Texas.

The indictment says Calderon Velasquez allegedly sexually groomed and then extorted the victim to strip and engage in sexual activity over Skype chats, which Calderon Velasquez recorded and kept on his computer along with other child pornography.

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Harris County Constable’s Office in Texas.  Assistant United States Attorney Alexander T.H. Nguyen is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.