Gallegos pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 3 felony, in a plea agreement with prosecutors.<\/p>\n
The Durango Police Department was notified in June 2020 that someone on social media, possibly in Durango, was sharing child porn. Investigators were able to trace posts made in April on the app Snapchat to an IP address belonging to Gallegos, according to court records.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 1, 2020, authorities executed a search warrant on a home Gallegos was renting in the Aspen Trails neighborhood, northeast of Durango. At the time, he was also wanted in New Mexico for \u201ccriminal sexual penetration.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to his plea agreement, Gallegos possessed photos and videos \u201cdepicting young females, as young as toddler-aged females,\u201d engaged in sexual acts.<\/p>\n
Stoker asked that Gallegos be given probation, saying he has admitted to possessing the materials and is receiving psychosexual treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe goes to treatment all the time,\u201d Stoker said.<\/p>\n
But Assistant District Attorney Sean Murray asked for 10 years in prison based on Gallegos\u2019 sexual offender history and to deter others from possessing or distributing child porn. He said maybe when Gallegos gets out of prison he\u2019ll reflect on his actions versus blaming his anxiety.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking about hundreds of little girls that were victimized \u2013 revictimized,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n
While shaking and crying, Gallegos apologized to \u201ceverybody who was involved in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said pornography was a coping mechanism that spiraled out of control.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been the greatest mistake of my life,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has taught me a lot about myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judge Carlson said she would like to consider giving Gallegos community corrections, which allows offenders to live and work in the community under strict supervision, but that option was not available because Gallegos has other pending cases. She said she\u2019d consider resentencing him at a later date if community corrections is willing to accept him once all of his cases have been resolved.<\/p>\n