For Immediate Release:
December 22, 2022
Contact: Jerri Mares – (505) 321-4372
ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Joshua Vigil was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his convictions on five felony counts involving his sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Vigil was convicted by plea agreement of Criminal Sexual Penetration (1st Degree) (Child Under 13); Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor in the Second Degree (Child Under 13); Sexual Exploitation of Children (Manufacturing); Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine); and Possession Of Visual Medium of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Child Under 13). He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“Sexual abuse of children is one of the most despicable crimes imaginable, and my office is thankful for a sentence that ensures the Defendant will not be able to hurt a child again,” said Attorney General Balderas.
In 2020, Vigil raped a toddler who looked up to him as a father figure. The abuse came to light when Google reported the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as required by federal law. The investigation revealed that, in addition to his sexual predation of a toddler in New Mexico, Vigil also curated a collection of images and videos of this sexual abuse that he maintained in his digital media accounts. Vigil was convicted by guilty plea earlier this year.
In an emotional sentencing hearing, prosecutors read a statement from the child victim in this case and from his parents about the betrayal of trust and devastating harm of Vigil’s crimes. In announcing her sentence, Judge Solimon commented, “This is one of the most heinous crimes you can commit, other than murder. . . [Vigil] knows the type of harm he caused to the child. [The victim] now has to go to counseling. No one should go through that. [The Victim] should not have gone through that.”
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Police Department in coordination with the Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Alyssa Cervantes, Mark Probasco, and Jonathan Gardner.
The case was brought as part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track and capture internet child sexual predators and internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are over 90 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement or make an anonymous report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, (accessible at http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline) or calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
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