A West Haven man, Carlos Inesti, 29, has been arrested on federal charges related to child exploitation. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI.
Court documents reveal that in April 2025, an individual in Utah was arrested for possession of child pornography. Analysis of a seized cell phone uncovered videos showing an adult male identified as Inesti engaging in explicit conduct with a toddler-aged girl. It is alleged that Inesti recorded these videos and shared them via the Telegram application.
Inesti appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond under home detention with location monitoring. He is restricted from internet access and contact with minors.
The charges against Inesti include sexual exploitation of children, which could result in a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years imprisonment. Additionally, he faces charges for distribution of child pornography, carrying a potential sentence ranging from five to 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan emphasized that “a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.” He noted that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The investigation involves the FBI’s New Haven and Salt Lake City Field Offices with assistance from the West Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. To report cases of child exploitation, visit www.cybertipline.com.
