Federal officials announced the arrest of a Puerto Rico man charged with multiple child exploitation offenses following a Homeland Security Investigations operation in San Juan.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Joseph Cruz-Santiago, 32, of Caguas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 28 on charges involving sexual exploitation and coercion of two minors, receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. On September 2, Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Cruz-Santiago.
🚨32-Year-Old Caguas Man Arrested for Child Exploitation ‼️
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Joseph Cruz-Santiago, a 32-year-old man from Caguas, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation.
On August 28, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Joseph… pic.twitter.com/CsZRlbGFLr
— HSI San Juan (@HSISanJuan) September 3, 2025
Court documents allege that between December 2024 and February 2025, Cruz-Santiago used a cellphone, online messaging services, and social media to entice and coerce two girls, both 11 to 12 years old, into sexual activity. Prosecutors said he produced sexually explicit images of the conduct, received child sexual abuse material, and knowingly transferred obscene material to the minors online.
From July 2024 through July 2025, Cruz-Santiago also allegedly possessed and accessed with intent to view additional child pornography, including material depicting prepubescent children.
“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”
Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s special agent in charge, said the case underscores the need for parents and guardians to remain alert to online dangers. “Child predators will find endless ways to manipulate their victims as part of their ill behavior. It’s important that we understand the mechanisms they are using and the risks our children have online,” she said. “Let’s all together take a Pledge to Protect.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force, led by HSI, is conducting the investigation.
If convicted, Cruz-Santiago faces mandatory minimum sentences ranging from five to 20 years depending on the charge, with maximum penalties up to life in prison. All convictions also carry supervised release terms of at least five years up to life.
The case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
