Aztec man convicted of possessing child porn sentenced to sex offender probation

• Cisco Veneno was sentenced to five years of sex offender probation during a May 20 hearing in front of Chief District Court Judge Karen Townsend in Aztec District Court.
• San Juan County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said Veneno had no criminal history and he has been in counseling since his arrest.
• The San Juan County Sheriff's Office handled the investigation.

FARMINGTON — An Aztec man convicted of possessing child pornography received sex offender probation after both the defense and prosecution advocated for probation during a sentencing hearing this week.

Cisco Veneno, 25, of Aztec, was sentenced to five years of sex offender probation during a May 20 hearing in front of Chief District Court Judge Karen Townsend, according to court documents.

He was charged on Oct. 19, 2018, with accused of distribution of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children and possession of visual medium of sexual exploitation of children, according to The Daily Times archives.

The distribution charge was dismissed as part of a March 10 plea agreement.

Greg Shearer, Veneno's attorney, said they appreciated Judge Townsend handling the case with care and doing what is best for his client.

"(Veneno) has been consistently participating in intensive counseling," Shearer said. "That couldn’t happen in prison. He’d eventually get out a hardened criminal rather than getting the treatment and therapy he needs and is getting now."

San Juan County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said Veneno had no criminal history and he has been in counseling since his arrest.

The psychologist who filed a report on Veneno to the court stated he had a low risk of re-offending, which O'Brien noted was uncommon to hear.

The San Juan County Sheriff's Office handled the investigation.

Based on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a detective found that an IP address linked to viewing child pornography belonged to an address tied to Veneno.

The defendant told law enforcement he downloaded child pornography and a photo was found on an Apple iPhone he owned.

Veneno's probation was described as "very intensive" by O'Brien and it would be difficult for the five-year-period.

Shearer noted his client will be closely monitored by a specialized probation officer.

If Veneno were to fail probation, he could face a 10 year prison sentence and registration as a sex offender.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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