Judge to give Border Patrol agent sweet plea after toddler porn found.

CONTENT WARNING: While I will not go into details about this case, child sexual abuse is discussed in this article.

Judges on the southern border have a pattern and practice of dragging out sexual abuse cases when the defendant is a Border Patrol agent. For years, I have followed and attended countless court cases involving agents committing horrendous sexual assault, child pornography, terroristic threats, domestic violence and other charges to determine how it is that the offenders continue to get away with or receive light sentences for their crimes. I have documented those cases and my findings here.

In general, judges along the southern border allow agents and their counsel to file extension after extension. After years of attending hearing after hearing, victims often become exhausted as they are re-traumatized every single time they must see their abusers at these hearings. Prosecutors often then tell the victims that they are not required to go attend all these little status hearings. This is when the prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys work together and agree to send the accused agent to a variety of court approved classes involving alcoholism and drug addiction, domestic violence, anger management, parenting and any other “diversionary punishments” they can. This is the opportunity for the agent to show the judge that they were just having a bad day when they aimed their duty weapon at their girlfriend or when they accidentally downloaded thousands of files of kiddy porn.

Victims often have no clue their abusers are attending these programs. After years of hearings making sure the agent is staying clean, the victims eventually give up. They don’t want to attend any more hearings. Many move away and have started over. Many just need to be done. This is when the judges and prosecutors throw out the charges or reduce them to misdemeanor nothing charges. Judges often comment to the agents that they consider them to be heroes. The agent standing before their court has been respectful and done everything the court asked of them. And then they get their guns back and many times the records are erased.

In Arizona, it is rare for the media and even researchers such as myself to be aware of child sex abuse cases. The Arizona Supreme Court passed a judicial rule (Rule 123) that requires child abuse sex cases to be kept off state databases if the victim was under 18 years of age at the time of the crime. The only reason the media reported this case in May of 2024 was because it was prosecuted federally and not by the state.

While most arrested for sex abuse crimes are charged locally or by the states, child pornography cases are often handled federally because it is occurring across state lines and even transnationally. Child pornography internet crimes are the purview of ICE-HSI (Homeland Security Investigations).

In April of 2024, ICE-HSI agents obtained an arrest warrant signed by Arizona U.S. District Judge (Yuma division) James F. Metcalf for Border Patrol agent Nereo Mejia Gomez, Jr. (41). The probable cause produced by HSI is by far the most egregious sexual abuse I have ever seen in my decade of studying sex crimes committed by agents. I will not discuss these crimes in detail, nor will I show the indictment. I will however show the charges initially brought after thousands of child sexual abuse files were found on his devices.

When ICE-HSI investigators arrived at Gomez’ house, they noticed cables in air ducts. While no recording devices were found, investigators found the USB plugs and cables were routed throughout the attic. When reviewing files found on Gomez’ devices, investigators found videos of Gomez himself placing the cameras in the vents. According to the indictment, the room belonged to Jane Doe, a 17-year-old girl. Any relationship to Gomez is not given. These videos make up charges 1-4 for production of child pornography.

The other charges of distributing and possessing child porn add an additional 6 charges of child pornography. That’s a grand total of 10 charges for a minimum of 4 years worth of child pornography. Even though I believe he should be charged for each and every instance, I understand the need to consolidate the evidence. Still, these crimes charged here could land the average person over 50 years in prison easily.

Only that isn’t likely to happen here. Professional courtesies have been extended to Gomez. Judge James Metcalf allowed Gomez to travel between Arizona and California multiple times for the last 2 years and had only placed him on house arrest. Presumably, the judge doesn’t think producing child pornography is a serious, violent felony.

Local media covered Gomez’ arrest in May of 2024 as “involving child sexual abuse material” and "Border Patrol Agent Indicted for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material.” But to get a grasp of how truly heinous and disgusting the allegations against Gomez are, you would have to read the indictment. Nowhere in the media or in the agency press releases is the fact that many of the videos were of toddlers being sexually abused.

Border Patrol agent Nereo Mejia Gomez, Jr. is being accused of possessing videos depicting sexual assault of toddlers ages 2 to 5, but he’s had 2 years to prove he can be a good boy. Judge James Metcalf has accepted a plea in this case to charges #5 and #6, distribution of child pornography. Each count carries a sentence of $250,000 and/or 5 to 20 years in prison. All other charges were dropped including the possession of toddler porn and the production of child pornography charges.

The structures and systems that continually allow these sex crimes against children will continue as long as predators continue to be hired by law enforcement, as long as judges refuse to see sex crimes as the violently horrific traumas they are, as long as they continue to ignore the victims and side with the assaulters.

Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2026 at 3pm, 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 in courtroom 503 before Judge Krissa M. Lanham.