FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A former corrections sergeant at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material.
40-year-old Ralph Contreras Jr. was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston.
Court documents say Contreras received and distributed child sexual abuse material through social media apps between Sept. 29, 2024, and Jan. 2, 2025.
He specifically sought out material depicting prepubescent minors.
Contreras was working as a corrections sergeant at the time of his arrest.
Contreras was arrested in January 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 13, 2026.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted it.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information is available at www.usdoj.gov/psc, including internet-safety education resources under the “resources” tab.