A 22-year-old Luling resident will spend 60 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old.
Dominic Romano was sentenced on March 30 by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe. Ashe also ordered Romano to serve a 10-year period of supervised release and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, an investigation began in 2020 after the FBI received a tip from another law enforcement agency that Romano had accessed an online bulletin board.
The bulletin board, according to court documents, had an explicit focus on the advertisement, distribution, and facilitation of sharing child abuse material. The board also contained sections and forums cataloged by the age of the victims and the nature of the violence inflicted on them.
The FBI executed a search warrant of Romano’s residence on May 7, 2020. A forensic review revealed that Romano had knowingly used several of the electronic devices seized during the search warrant to search for, download, and save images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
In total, at least 2,589 images and 62 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children were found on Romano’s seized devices – these images and videos included children less than three years old. Romano was also in possession of an instruction manual on how to successfully victimize “very young girls” without being caught.
A hearing on July 6, 2023, has been scheduled to determine the amount of restitution Romano must pay to the victims of his offense.
So so disturbing and disgusting, he needs not to be let out!! He was trying to find a way to harm a child without being caught, if let out he will follow thru I’m sure!!
Damn that’s crazy. I graduated with him. We all knew something was off about him but I never would’ve guessed this.