A Washington man, Michael Avila Espinoza, 34, has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. Espinoza pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025, to two counts of production of child pornography. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice handed down the sentence, which also includes a lifetime term of supervised release and a $15,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
Court documents revealed that Espinoza engaged in sexual acts with two minor females—one as young as 12—and recorded these assaults on his cell phone. Authorities identified Espinoza during a state investigation into sexual assault involving one of the victims. Investigators secured a search warrant for Espinoza’s social media accounts and found communications confirming he met the minors multiple times for sex. They also found sexually explicit videos created by Espinoza and additional photos he solicited from the victims. The minors confirmed that Espinoza offered them small amounts of money in exchange for sex.
United States Attorney Pete Serrano commented: “It is difficult to imagine more violative conduct than the sexual assault of multiple minors, but here Defendant multiplied the horrors of his crimes by commodifying his child victims, and by recording his acts of violence against them. In a civilized society, it is everyone’s job to protect the innocent and the vulnerable. The United States Attorney’s Office stands with child victims and prioritizes their protection from sexual predators like Defendant. A 23-year sentence is significant, and demonstrates the collaborative partnerships of local, state, and federal law enforcement colleagues who work tirelessly to protect our communities.”
April Miller, acting Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle said: “Espinoza’s sentencing—23 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release—reflects the profound harm caused by the defendant’s crimes, including his abuse of minors in the production of child sexual exploitation material. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of HSI special agents from HSI Yakima and HSI Wenatchee, who supported our local law enforcement partners, this threat to children has been removed from our communities and will be closely monitored for the rest of his life. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to stop the vile crime of child exploitation.”
Deputy Prosecutor Micaela Meadow added: “This negotiated sentence accomplishes several of the goals the State hopes for—it encompasses crimes from multiple jurisdictions, with multiple victims, holds the defendant accountable at a high level, and protects the victims from having to speak about and relive the trauma of what the defendant did to them multiple times. Chelan County is grateful to our federal counterparts for assisting in and taking on these difficult cases where we may not be able to accomplish those goals at the State level.”
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Tyler I. Caille stated: “Protecting the safety of our community, especially our most vulnerable, is our highest priority. We are grateful for the partnership that helped bring this offender to justice.”
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online through collaboration between federal prosecutors’ offices such as U.S Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS alongside state agencies—to locate offenders who exploit children via technology and rescue their victims (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Homeland Security Investigations worked jointly with Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on this case; Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick led prosecution.
