TEXAS MAN FACES FEDERAL CHARGE FOR ATTEMPTED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF NINE-YEAR-OLD CHILD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA — A 19-year-old Texas man has been charged with attempted production of child sexual abuse material following a federal investigation into allegations that he used social media to communicate with a nine-year-old child in Louisiana and attempted to persuade the minor to create sexually explicit images.

Joseph Leyva, of Castroville, Texas, was charged by federal criminal complaint on October 9, 2026, according to an announcement issued October 15 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. If convicted, Leyva faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, the investigation began after the child’s parent reported suspicious activity to local law enforcement. Authorities examined the communications and identified Leyva as the individual allegedly contacting the minor. The child resides within the Western District of Louisiana, where federal prosecutors brought the charge.

The case involves an attempted-production charge, meaning prosecutors allege Leyva took steps toward obtaining sexually explicit visual material involving a child. The charge does not, by itself, establish that such material was produced or obtained. Federal law allows prosecution of attempted child sexual exploitation offenses even when the intended criminal act has not been completed, provided the government proves the required elements of the offense.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller announced the federal charge. The FBI and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Bordelon handling the prosecution and Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard providing assistance. The case is identified in the Western District of Louisiana as 6:26-mj-00247.

The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative established in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Coordinated through U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the initiative brings together federal, state, and local authorities to investigate online exploitation, prosecute offenders, identify victims, and assist in their protection.

Leyva has been charged through a criminal complaint, not convicted. The allegations remain subject to federal court proceedings, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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