Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Exploitation Crimes

Thomas Henry Lopez, a 51-year-old resident of Spring, Texas, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his involvement in child sexual exploitation offenses. U. S.

District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff handed down the sentence, which includes two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor, the U. S.

Attorney's Office announced.

Lopez will also be subject to a life term of supervised release, during which he must register as a sex offender. His access to computers, cellphones, and the internet will be restricted. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay $24,400 in financial assessments.

Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges on July 13, 2026, without a plea agreement. The offenses occurred between June and July 2024, when Lopez contacted minors in California's Central Valley through TikTok. He continued communications via text messages and the encrypted application JusTalk, posing as a 12-year-old boy from Texas. During these interactions, Lopez persuaded the victims to create and send illicit videos and images, and he sent them sexually explicit images of himself and others.

Investigators were able to identify Lopez through internet connections used at his home and workplace, where he was employed as a principal wells engineer at a multinational corporation. He was arrested on September 3, 2024, as he was preparing to leave for a work trip to Singapore. Multiple electronic devices were seized during a search of his residence.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with significant involvement from the Kingsburg, California Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

U. S. Attorney Eric Grant emphasized the severity of Lopez's actions, stating, "Although the defendant lived an outwardly respectable life, he secretly exploited vulnerable minors through an online platform.

The offenses for which he pleaded guilty represent only two of many victims of his disgusting conduct. This sentence will safeguard the public and prevent the defendant from harming other victims. Our office remains committed to protecting children and to holding fully accountable anyone who sexually exploits children."

FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh also commented on the case, highlighting the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in bringing Lopez to justice. "Thomas Lopez befriended and ultimately exploited vulnerable children who had no idea he was not the 12-year-old he claimed to be. We are grateful to the Kingsburg Police Department for their professionalism and commend the brave survivors and their families for trusting us to conduct a thorough investigation to hold Lopez accountable for his depraved crime," Tosh said.

"This case is an example of the collaborative work the FBI is doing to identify and investigate predators who use the anonymity of online communication to exploit our nation’s children. Justice will find you, always."