websites

California Man Sentenced for Operating Child Abuse Websites

**Sacramento, CA** – A man from California has received a 24-year-and-four-month prison sentence for operating websites involved in the distribution of child abuse images. Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, was convicted for his role in managing four dark web platforms dedicated to this illegal activity.

Court documents revealed that from December 2021 until his arrest in November 2022, Mendonsa was involved in the operation of sites that distributed explicit materials involving minors, including infants and toddlers. He utilized public internet access at a local coffee shop to engage in these activities. Approximately 6,500 images discovered on his devices depicted victims affected by his misconduct.

Mendonsa entered a guilty plea in April, facing seven counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possession. The announcement was made by Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, and Special Agent Tatum King from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco.

The case was investigated by HSI San Francisco with support from local law enforcement agencies. Prosecutors involved in the case include CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvage