Sex Offender Drew His Own Child Porn in Federal Prison

A man serving a 10-year sentence for possessing child pornography is facing another 15 years or more after being convicted of creating his own while behind bars. Federal prosecutors say Jesse Fernando Perez, 36, copied images of children from books and magazines and “then drew on the images to create depictions of the children engaged in sexually explicit activity.” Perez argued in pretrial motions that he never should have been indicted. “The question this motion raises is whether the federal government may constitutionally regulate what a person writes in a diary,” his attorney wrote. “The statute under which Mr. Perez is being prosecuted purports to criminalize private obscenity and is unconstitutional.” Perez waived his right to a jury trial and did not testify at a bench trial, where he was convicted by the judge of producing and possessing obscene images of children.