For Immediate Release:
September 2, 2022
Contact: Jerri Mares – (505) 321-4372
ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Ryan Callahan will remain behind bars until his trial. Callahan has been charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor and multiple counts of child exploitation of children by possession and manufacturing. The state argued that Callahan only needs momentary access to children or to the internet in order to resume his damaging criminal efforts against children. In light of the heinous nature of Callahan’s actions the state moved for detention. Judge Bruce Fox agreed that the state met its burden in proving that Callahan was a danger to the community and that no release conditions could ensure the safety of the community.
“Crimes against children are horrific and inexcusable, and I am thankful that Judge Fox moved to keep this dangerous offender behind bars to ensure the safety of New Mexico children,” said Attorney General Balderas.
On August 2, 2022, the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a Priority I CyberTip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. The Cybertip indicated that a child was in imminent danger of being abused based on photos uploaded to a Google account by the user “Ryan Callahan.” Law enforcement immediately responded to Callahan’s residence on the same day that the tip was received and discovered that a small child was a resident of the house. Callahan uploaded the photos of the minor victim to multiple online platforms, and directly inflicted trauma upon a child through the sexual offenses charged in this case.
This case was investigated by FBI Task Force Detectives with BCSO and the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, and is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ashley Schweizer.
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