A Bronx man, Daniel Batista, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for enticing a minor and possessing child pornography. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. Batista had previously pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
“Daniel Batista paid a mother to create child pornography of her own daughter,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He then used that child pornography both to gratify himself and to try to convince other parents to do the same. Today, the victims, families, and all New Yorkers get justice. Batista’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and our commitment to combat child sexual exploitation.”
Court documents state that in February 2024, while on probation for a prior conviction involving forcible touching of a minor on an MTA bus under New York law, probation officers found more than a dozen deleted videos and images of child pornography on Batista’s cellphone. Some images depicted a specific prepubescent victim referred to as Minor Victim-1.
Further investigation showed that in January and February 2024, Batista paid over $1,000 to the mother of Minor Victim-1 for the production and delivery of child pornography involving her daughter. Voice messages indicated that Batista communicated directly with Minor Victim-1 and encouraged her to make explicit videos for him. He also sent two images depicting Minor Victim-1 to another parent in an attempt to persuade them to produce similar material involving their own children.
In addition to the prison term, Batista, who is 57 years old and a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton commended the investigative work conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Rosenberg from the Office’s General Crimes Unit.
