A convicted sex offender wil be sentenced to 8 years in state prison.

Eric Ayala, a convicted sex offender, has agreed to accept an 8 year sentence for the crimes of possessing Child Sex Abuse Material, referred to as Child Pornography, and failing to register as a sex offender. Ayala had been required as a sex offender due to a 1998 conviction for Lewd Acts with a Child Under the Age of 14. Investigation into Ayala began in January 2024 when Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents with the Imperial Valley Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber tip about Ayala uploading Child Sex Abuse Material from the internet. It was found that Ayala was living in El Cento and he was out of compliance of his sex offender registration requirements. An arrest warrant was issued for Ayala's arrest in February 2024. He was arrested in March of 2024 and has remained in Imperial County Jail since that arrest. Search warrants were executed and four devices seized from Ayala with approximately 1200 images of Child Sex Abuse Material were found on the devices. Ayala remains in jail and is scheduled to be sentenced to 8 years in state prison on March 13, 2025.