Guilty plea in child-porn, ISIS case
A Texan who is alleged to have plotted attacks on the White House and Trump Tower pleaded guilty Monday to possessing child porn and providing material support to a terrorist organization, federal officials said.
Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 22, of Cost, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer, officials with the Justice Department's Western District of Texas said.
Since May 2019, Molina, also known as Abdur Rahim, had been working with Kristopher Sean Matthews, also known as Ali Jibreel, authorities said.
Molina and Matthews were using an encrypted, members-only chat group for people who support the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-sham/ Syria, officials said. They also were producing and sharing PRO-ISIS propaganda, recruiting new members and disseminating bomb-making instructions.
The pair discussed a plan and possible targets to “send a message” including Trump Tower, the White House, the stock market, and headquarters of federal law enforcement agencies, a criminal complaint states.
Matthews said their multi-location attack could be “Netflix worthy,” court records show.
On Sept. 18, federal authorities said they searched Molina's residence in Cost, about 75 miles east of San Antonio.
Investigators said they seized his cellphone, which contained 18 images depicting child pornography.
Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison on the child pornography charge. He remains in federal custody pending sentencing, officials said.
On Nov. 24, Matthews, 34, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge to provide material support to ISIS. Matthews, who remains in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. March 4 before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia in San Antonio.
The San Antonio FBI'S Joint Terrorism Task Force — with assistance from the San Antonio Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and the Gonzalez County Sheriff's Office — investigated this case, officials said.