Austin man sentenced for possessing thousands of images of child porn

An Austin man has been sentenced to almost 13 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography.

47-year-old Fernando Solis has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and will also have to pay $36,000 in restitution to a dozen known child victims. He will also be placed on supervised release for 10 years after completing his prison term, says the US Attorney's Office.

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Solis pled guilty in August 2020 to one count of possession of child pornography. The US Attorney's Office says Solis admitted that from 2013 to 2018, he visited internet sites and used various chat applications to obtain child pornography, including live sex shows involving underage minors in the Philippines.

The US Attorney's Office says that Solis also actively paid for access to child pornography by wiring money over 50 times to the Philippines in amounts ranging from $25 to $100. A dozen victims submitted Victim Impact Statements in support of their requests for restitution and justice. 

In November 2018, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Solis’s residence in Austin. During the search, agents seized the defendant’s laptop, iPad, and related computer media. A forensics examination revealed that Solis received and made available for distribution more than 1,800 images or videos of child pornography, says the US Attorney's Office.

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According to court records, on May 25, 1995, Solis was convicted of Attempted Sexual Battery of a Victim Under 12 Years of Age in Florida and sentenced to six years imprisonment.