A Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and illegal reentry into the United States. Marlon Jefferson Fajardo-Paiz, 33, admitted to both offenses and faces up to 20 years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and an additional two years for illegally returning to the U.S. after deportation.
Fajardo-Paiz had previously been removed from the United States on July 20, 2018, according to court documents. Authorities said he never received permission from the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission. On April 24, 2025, Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigators interviewed Fajardo-Paiz as part of a probe into a cybertip regarding CSAM uploads. During questioning, he admitted to viewing, downloading, and transmitting such materials. A search of his phone uncovered at least 20 items identified as CSAM.
The investigation was conducted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov,” according to the release.
