Morris Pasqual, Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois
Morris Pasqual, Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois
A Chicago man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting and receiving child sexual abuse material from at least 14 children. The sentencing follows an investigation into the online activities of Armando Torres, who used social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram to contact young girls, most of whom were under ten years old.
According to court records, Torres created screen names that appealed to children and often pretended to be a child himself in order to gain their trust. He provided detailed instructions to his victims on how to pose, what language to use, and how to record and send explicit images and videos.
Torres, age 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges related to exploitation and child pornography. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the sentence on August 11, 2025.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Children are the most vulnerable members of our community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Their innocence and trust in others make them defenseless to predators like Torres, who easily manipulated them online. Torres’s sexualization of the victims deprived them of their childhood and inflicted significant trauma on them, as well as their families, that will continue to impact them long after the experience is over.”
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national effort that brings together federal, state, and local agencies to locate and prosecute those who exploit children while also supporting victims through critical services.
Individuals who believe they may be victims of sexual exploitation are encouraged to reach out for help through resources such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://www.missingkids.org/ or by calling 1-800-843-5678; support is available around the clock.
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