TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Safford man was sentenced for crimes related to child porn possession.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 44-year-old Richard Lee Molinar was convicted of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to five years in prison and is required to register as a sex offender.
A July 2021 indictment charged Molinar with owning a phone which had access to 13 videos depicting children — many under age 12 — engaging in sexual contact. Court documents reveal he used Facebook Messenger to receive and send the videos.
“Project Safe Childhood aims to protect the public long-term from the actions of defendants who seek to exploit children,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino, in a statement. “Because of this conviction, and the diligence of our partners at Homeland Security Investigations, the defendant will be subject to stringent conditions for the rest of his life with respect to the use of the internet and participation in chat rooms and other forms of social networking.”
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Phil Villarreal is the senior real-time editor for KGUN 9. He is also a digital producer and host of "Phil on Film" seen weekly on Good Morning Tucson, Phil moved to KGUN after 17 years with the Arizona Daily Star. He is married and has four children. Share your story ideas and important issues with Phil by emailing phil.villarreal@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
