Benjamin Ashford|'Revolting' evidence against Texas man includes videos of group sexual abuse of toddlers: FBI

A Texas man is Benjamin Ashfordin federal custody after the FBI linked him to videos from the dark web depicting group sexual assault on toddlers in a mall.

Arthur Hector Fernandez, 29, was arrested Dec. 18, 2023 in Kingwood, TX as the result of a Dec. 14 criminal complaint filed in federal court in Houston, records show.

According to the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted by the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation earlier in December. The organization shared with the FBI four videos posted on an invitation-only forum on the dark web.

The FBI were able to identify one of the children, less than 3 years old, through social media. A relative of the child was presented with a sanitized image of the video and recognized the bracelets an individual in the video was wearing as belonging to Fernandez, according to the complaint. The two became friends after working at nearby stores at the Galleria Mall in Houston, and he would watch the child for her occasionally while she worked, she told the FBI.

Investigators believe at least one of the videos is taken in a public restroom because a changing table is present, and the mall has public restrooms with changing tables, the complaint states.

"The evidence in this case is overwhelming and revolting," the judge wrote in a court order requiring Fernandez to remain detained pending trial. "I cannot allow (him) to abuse any other minors and there are no conditions or combination of conditions that can alleviate a danger to the community. This is not a close call."

Fernandez has been charged with the sexual exploitation of children. The public defender listed as Fernandez's attorney did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Thursday.

Videos showed multiple males sexually abusing children less than 3 years old

The complaint details the graphic videos, in which the video's creator and one or two other males present sexually abuse two different children, both aged 2 to 3 years old.

The ACCCE shared the videos as they contained two common identifiers: two silver bracelets and white Converse All-Star shoes.

The FBI used an open-source image repository to match one of the toddlers to a relative who posted photos of the child on social media. She told investigators that Fernandez, who formerly worked at the mall, had offered to take care of the child when she could not find childcare. In addition to recognizing the bracelets, she also said Fernandez would often wear white Converse All-Stars.

The FBI also executed a search warrant for Fernandez's address, seizing his electronic devices and three pairs of the sneakers seen in the videos.

A search through Fernandez's Instagram account helped the FBI locate a relative of the second minor, the complaint states. She also worked at the mall, and would bring the child to work with her. She also told investigators that Fernandez took the child trick-or-treating on Halloween.