SAN ANTONIO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
SAN ANTONIO – A Garden Ridge man was sentenced Tuesday to 210 months in prison, 10 years supervised release and ordered to pay $30,000 restitution to six victims for distributing child sexual abuse material.
Kyle Ross Rivers, 38, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2022 to one count of distribution of child pornography after trafficking the material to an undercover agent in a group using a social media messaging app. Investigators found that Rivers possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent children. At the time of his arrest, Rivers was working at a Residential Autism Treatment Center, providing care for many nonverbal children.
“The sexual abuse of children is horrific and individuals like Mr. Rivers who traffic in this despicable material continue the exploitation of these innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff for the Western District of Texas. “The sentence imposed by the court reflects the gravity of the offense committed.”
"The exploitation of innocent children is a heinous crime and demands our relentless focus on bringing these terrible subjects to justice," said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. for the FBI San Antonio Field Office. "This sentencing ensures Mr. Rivers will be held accountable for his actions and sends a message that these horrible crimes will not be tolerated in our community."
FBI San Antonio and FBI Chattanooga investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson 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.
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