He thought one upload would go unnoticed.
It didn’t.
What Happened?
On December 15, 2022, 42-year-old Jose Perez from Celoron, NY uploaded a file to Dropbox. Dropbox, being an electronic service provider, flagged the file.
That single flag triggered a search warrant at his residence.
What Was Found After The Warrant?
During the search, his cell phone was seized. A forensic examination of the phone revealed child pornography material involving a prepubescent minor.
The press release also states that Perez admitted to engaging in sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor on two or more occasions.
The Sentencing:
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo sentenced him to:
- 78 months in federal prison
- 30 years of supervised release after prison
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The investigation was led by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Jamestown Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide DOJ initiative to combat child exploitation.
The Real Takeaway:
Cloud storage is not anonymous. Providers like Dropbox have detection systems, and one flagged file is enough to start a full federal investigation that ends in prison.
Source: justice.gov – U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York – October 2, 2026
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