ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando man who was given a second chance after a child pornography conviction in 2008 was just arrested again for the same crime.
Court records show Ismael Rivera, 29, was arrested by federal authorities on Tuesday. He's being held in the Seminole County Jail on possession of child pornography charges.
In 2008, Ismael was convicted of downloading child porn and was sentenced to just seven years in prison as part of a plea deal. Rivera was facing a possible 30-year sentence.
"The system hopes people can change and that they can become rehabilitated," said WFTV legal analyst Belvin Perry.
Rivera served most of his time in prison and registered as a sex offender following his release in May.
But according to court documents, Rivera was soon back to his old ways after being released. Investigators with the FBI searched his Orlando apartment Tuesday.
"It says that he has not learned anything from his past punishment. Maybe the punishment needs to be a lot stiffer than what it was the first time," said Perry.
Authorities said many of the children previously found in images on Rivera's electronics had been identified by law enforcement and were on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's radar. It's unclear if authorities were ever able to find and rescue those victims.
Perry said Rivera will most likely be facing a much harsher punishment if convicted for the second time.
When Rivera was taken into custody Tuesday, he told investigators he had the right to do whatever he wanted inside his home and they couldn't arrest him.