A New Mexico man is behind bars after being accused of making and distributing child pornography that allegedly featured his 7-year-old daughter, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Luxury Handbag Shopping.
Timothy Houle, 35, was arrested over the weekend following an investigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
Houle has been formally charged with possession of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children (with a victim under 13) and distribution of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children. Each charge carries a potential sentence of 0 to 11 years.
The investigation that led to Houle’s arrest began on Friday, January 23, after Internet Crimes Against Children agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about someone possessing and transmitting child sexual abuse material, it is alleged in the warrant.
Police allege they learned Houle was divorced and shared custody of two children — a boy and a young girl matching the description of the naked girl exploited in the graphic photos he had been sharing online using the Kik app.
The warrant claims he was arrested on Monday, January 26, at a nearby trampoline park, where he was found with both of his children.
Police said they spoke to the child’s mother, who confirmed it was their daughter in the photos. “As soon as she saw the picture, she cried ‘That’s my baby!’ and began to sob uncontrollably,” according to the warrant. “After she regained her composure, she was asked how she knew that was [her child]” and she “stated that she recognized [the girl’s chin].”
Houle allegedly told police he had no idea where the photos could have come from and said it had been years since he used the Kik app. Hours later, though, he allegedly told cops that on January 19, “he had gotten very drunk and downloaded several messaging apps. He stated that he didn’t remember downloading Kik but deleted all the apps he had downloaded the next morning. … He stated that Monday, Wednesday and Friday are his hard days at work and that is when he drinks.”
Later, “Timothy advised that he had taken that photograph approximately 2 years ago to send to [the girl’s mother] to look at a rash that [the girl] had. I told Timothy that no rash [was] apparent in the picture and he did not respond.”
Houle is being held without bail. It was unclear if he had entered pleas to the charges he faces, and information on his lawyer, assuming he has one, was unavailable.
Investigators performed an open trace search and determined the child porn was connected to an account belonging to his father, who is 74.
“This case is deeply disturbing and underscores the critical importance of swift law enforcement action,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who commended the investigators as well as Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office for quickly identifying and arresting Houle.
“A parent exploiting their own child represents one of the most horrific violations imaginable, and my office will prosecute this case aggressively,” Torrez added. “Sexual offenders in New Mexico should be on notice: if you target or exploit children in this state, you will be found, arrested, and held accountable.”
If you know of a young person who is being exploited or are the victim of a crime, you are urged to report it to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be left at tips.fbi.gov
