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Bronx Man Charged With Distributing Child Porn After Bragging to FBI Agent

By Kathleen Culliton | September 13, 2016 8:24am
 Rudy Mena was arrested Monday and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Rudy Mena was arrested Monday and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.
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DNAinfo

NEW YORK CITY — A Bronx man who distributed child pornography and boasted online about molesting a young child was arrested in his home last week,  according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

Rudy Mena, 23, used the messaging service app "Kik" to trade photographs and pornographic anecdotes with an undercover FBI agent for nearly two months from July 15 to Sept. 7, according to the criminal complaint.

Mena bragged to the FBI agent that he had access to a young child and sent graphic pictures of a small child that he claimed to have molested, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

When the FBI agent asked Mena why he had committed the acts he boasted of, which included molesting a young child, Mena replied, “Cus I have no other choice.”

The agent also told Mena via Kik that he was the father of a 9-year-old daughter and Mena requested pornographic photos of her, according to the complaint. 

Mena, who was on parole for a 2013 conviction for possessing child pornography, confessed to arresting officers that he used the username “ragzbagz” to send and receive child pornography as well as to molesting an 8-year-old when he was himself 13 years old, according to the complaint.

Mena was indicted in Manhattan federal court on Monday and charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.

He faces up to 40 years in prison for the distribution charge and up to 20 years in prison for the possession charge.

“Thanks to the dedicated work of law enforcement, Mena is under arrest and can no longer hurt other children,” said Bharara in a statement.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the case  is asked to contact the FBI at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.