Robert Jonathan De Oliveira Ricci, a 36-year-old from Brazil, was sentenced on April 6 to seven years and three months in federal prison for transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Julie Sneed issued the sentence after Ricci pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation crimes entering the United States through international travel. Ricci was ordered to register as a sex offender and must forfeit a smartphone that he used in committing the offenses.
According to court documents, Ricci worked as a crewmember aboard an internationally operated cruise ship that arrived at Port Canaveral on March 10, 2025. During a border search, authorities found at least 83 videos and 184 images depicting the sexual abuse of children—including infants and toddlers—on his smartphone.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, while Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country.
