PHOENIX — A Phoenix man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after law enforcement discovered evidence of child pornography on his phone as he was attempting to smuggle people into the U.S.
Robert Yost, 61, recently pleaded guilty in court to conspiracy to sex traffic children and production of child pornography, as well as conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona said the full extent of Yost's crimes were first discovered in March 2020 after the Border Patrol caught him trying to smuggle undocumented individuals along State Route 80 in southern Arizona.
As Yost was questioned, agents uncovered materials on his cell phone that appeared to be child pornography. Prosecutors say Yost admitted to exchanging pictures and videos depicting child sexual abuse with other people via text messages and thru the internet.
Yost additionally offered methamphetamine to someone in exchange to provide sexual access to a child in that person's custody.
"Of most concern to the government, the facts of this case reveal a person who not only was willing to consume visual depictions of child sexual abuse, but was also eager to leverage the addiction of (another person) in an effort to sexually abuse (children)," prosecutors wrote in court documents.
After serving his time in prison, Yost will be placed on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
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