GALVESTON — A 42-year-old Qatari national, Ali Homoud Alnaimi, faces a federal charge of transportation of child pornography after investigators allegedly found child sexual abuse material on his cellphone.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Alnaimi represented Qatar for FIFA as a match promoter. He had been vacationing in the United States and was returning from a cruise when authorities took him into custody in Galveston.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, investigators allegedly found numerous videos depicting child sexual abuse material on Alnaimi’s cellphone. He was then charged with transportation of child pornography.
During a July 29 detention hearing, prosecutors said investigators found images depicting male children believed to be about 5 years old in sexually explicit material on Alnaimi’s cellphone.
Prosecutors argued Alnaimi posed a flight risk because the United States does not have an extradition treaty with Qatar.
On July 31, a federal judge ordered Alnaimi detained pending further criminal proceedings.
If convicted, Alnaimi faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Lyndi Guthrie
