A Guatemalan national and former Los Angeles resident has been extradited from Guatemala to face federal charges alleging the production of child sexual abuse material involving five minors. Miguel Angel Batz Jr., 43, also known as “Mike Batz,” arrived at Los Angeles International Airport after being transported from Guatemala.
Batz faces 12 counts of production of child pornography. He appeared in United States District Court in Los Angeles, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. A federal magistrate judge ordered him held without bond and set a trial date for October 7.
The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury in June 2022 and unsealed today, alleges that Batz enticed and coerced five minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. The alleged crimes involved the use of interstate and foreign commerce tools such as computers, cellphones, and the internet.
Authorities say Batz was initially charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with contacting a minor to commit a lewd act before fleeing to Guatemala. At the time of the alleged offenses, he had legal status in the United States.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted on all counts, Batz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years per count and up to 30 years per count in federal prison.
The FBI is leading the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office expressed gratitude for assistance from the Guatemalan National Civil Police Transnational Anti-Gang Unit, FBI Legal Attaché suboffice in Guatemala City, and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities for their roles in securing Batz’s arrest and extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney Brandon E. Martinez-Jones of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
