TAMPA, Fla. – A 49-year-old Tampa man, Angel Rivera, is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars following a federal indictment involving multiple charges of child exploitation. The announcement was made Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, marking the latest development in a significant investigation by federal and local authorities.
The indictment alleges that over a five-week period between October 15 and November 22, 2025, Rivera engaged in a series of illegal actions targeting a minor. Specifically, prosecutors claim Rivera coerced and enticed an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.
The charges also include the production of child sexual abuse material and the transfer of obscene material to a minor. Federal investigators noted one specific instance on October 16, 2025, where Rivera allegedly attempted to send obscene content to someone he believed was younger than 16 years old.
Further allegations suggest that on two separate dates in late October, he induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual recordings.
Despite the severity of the charges, it is important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation and not a conviction. Under the American legal system, Rivera is presumed innocent unless the government can prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If a jury finds him guilty on all counts, federal sentencing guidelines allow for a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The case is the result of a joint effort between the FBI and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry has been assigned to lead the prosecution.
This legal action falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative established in 2006. The program is designed to pool resources from federal, state, and local agencies to track down and prosecute those accused of exploiting children while working to identify and rescue victims of such crimes.
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