Filipino dad of 3 in New Jersey pleads guilty to child sex abuse

Del Prado was arrested at his home in November 2020, at which time agents seized several electronic devices that were found to contain child pornography. HSI PHOTO

NEWARK, N.J. – A Filipino father of three in Essex County, New Jersey, on Wednesday, Dec. 14 admitted producing several videos depicting the sexual assault of children, including some being committed by him.

Antonio Del Prado, 61, of Millburn, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count each of production of child pornography and production of child pornography abroad with intent to transport into the United States, according to a New Jersey Attorney’s Office press release.

Court documents and statements show that in October 2020, law enforcement officials learned that Del Prado had uploaded multiple items of suspected child pornography to an internet-based cloud storage system. The investigation also revealed that Del Prado had a woman live-stream a video of a child being sexually assaulted for him.

Del Prado was arrested at his home in November 2020, at which time agents seized several electronic devices that were found to contain child pornography.

Further investigation revealed that on multiple occasions, Del Prado sexually assaulted children in the Philippines and transmitted video recordings of those assaults into the United States.

The charges in the information each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.