Former Marfa substitute teacher convicted of producing child pornography

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A federal judge sentenced a Marfa woman to 30 years, or 360 months in prison, for producing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

Sonya Conchita Murillo, 33, is a former substitute teacher in the Marfa Independent School District who possessed child sexual abuse materials, including videos of Murillo sexually abusing a prepubescent child, according to the office's press release of the US Attorney.

Murillo was arrested on June 7, 2023, and pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography in January, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Murillo's former boyfriend, Patricio Javier Serrano, was sentenced in March to more than eight years in prison (97 months) for one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography, complicity. .

“The fact that the judge gave this defendant the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for producing child pornography is indicative of the utterly horrific acts of predation committed by Murillo.
engaged. I am very grateful to our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their work on this case. Rest assured, protecting the children in our communities is undoubtedly a top priority in this district, and child predators will be brought to justice,” said West Texas U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza.

“Children trust their teachers and guardians and Murillo betrayed that trust. No child should ever have to question the motives of an adult they interact with at school or at home. A child should feel safe and not be subjected to sexual abuse. I want to thank the FBI Special Agents from our Alpine Resident Agency and our partners at Homeland Security Investigations, the Marfa Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety who worked together to take down a child predator from our schools and our neighborhoods,” said Charge Special Agent John Morales of FBI El Paso.

“Homeland Security Investigations aggressively pursues child predators, and cases involving people in positions of trust are particularly concerning. In this case, the punishment fits the crime. Today, we are once again reminded of the need for constant vigilance – online and in our schools – to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric McLoughlin for El Paso Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).