TAMPA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa investigation has led to the sentencing of a Florida man to seven years and three months in federal prison for receiving, distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Robert Boyan Carra, 44, of Clearwater, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense. Carra entered a guilty plea on Jan. 12.
“This sentencing for the receipt, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material reaffirms HSI’s unwavering commitment to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to seek out those who exploit our children’s innocence,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt.
According to court documents, in April 2023, agents from HSI Tampa executed a federal search warrant at Carra’s residence and discovered more than 300 videos and images of child sexual abuse on several electronic devices belonging to Carra. Federal agents arrested Carra in June 2023 at Tampa International Airport and seized his cellphone. A forensic search revealed more than 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by HSI Tampa, with substantial assistance from the Pinellas Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.