For Immediate Release:
June 25, 2021
Contact: Matt Baca — (505) 270-7148
ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that
Jordan Padilla was convicted on 25 felony counts, including charges of criminal sexual
penetration of a child under 13 years of age, solicitation to commit criminal sexual
penetration of a minor under 13 years of age, criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13
years of age, false imprisonment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sexual
exploitation of children by recording, manufacturing, and possession.
“This case is a reminder that children deserve the full protection of the law and that my
office will continue to zealously pursue justice in cases involving the sexual exploitation
of children” said Attorney General Balderas. “Everyone in the community can play a part
in protecting children by reporting abuse.”
According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony admitted during the
trial, the Defendant recorded himself sexually abusing a preschooler in 2015 and 2016.
These videos remained uncovered until 5 years later, in 2020, when a concerned citizen
found the recordings on the Defendant’s tablet-computer and initiated the reporting of this
crime. The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General (NMAGO) executed multiple
warrants on the Defendant’s home and recovered more electronic devices. NMAGO
Forensic examiners reviewed these devices and found that these devices, including the
Defendant’s phone, contained thousands of depictions of child sexual abuse materials.
Padilla faces over 270 years of potential incarceration at sentencing, with a mandatory
minimum of 18 years in prison. The child survivor in this case remains unidentified, and
the investigation regarding her identity remains ongoing. If you have any information
related to this case please contact the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General ICAC
Unit at (505) 717-3500.
This case was investigated by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and
prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Caitlin L. Dillon and Mark Probasco