Court records allege Esmeralda Torres recorded underage girls and sent images and videos to a man in exchange for money or other items.
HOUSTON, TX — A 28-year-old Houston woman faces multiple child exploitation charges after investigators alleged she recorded sexually explicit images and videos of underage girls and provided the material to another person in exchange for money or other items, according to court records and a local news report.
Esmeralda Torres is accused of offenses involving the sexual performance of a child and child sexual abuse material. Harris County District Clerk records list criminal cases filed against Torres involving possession with intent to promote child pornography involving 50 or more depictions and possession of more than 50 depictions involving children younger than 10. The charges are allegations, and the available records do not establish that Torres has been convicted.
The investigation was linked to a CyberTip involving suspected child sexual abuse material, according to court documents described by ABC13 Houston. Investigators received information about four digital files that had allegedly been uploaded in December. The tip eventually led Houston police to 20-year-old Yordi Baruc Cruz, who investigators identified in connection with the uploaded material.
Investigators alleged that Cruz told law enforcement he had asked Torres for pictures and stored images on his phone. Court documents cited by ABC13 allege that investigators later contacted Torres at an apartment complex in southwest Houston. Authorities said the investigation involved numerous images and videos depicting minors. The identities of the children have not been publicly disclosed in the reviewed reporting.
Court documents further allege that Torres acknowledged recording videos and sending material to Cruz. Investigators also alleged there were multiple occasions when Cruz sent Torres money or other items in exchange for pictures or videos. Those assertions are allegations contained in the investigation and have not been established as facts at trial.
ABC13 reported that Torres was being held in the Harris County Jail and faced a $60,000 bond. The station said it contacted an attorney for Torres but had not received a response by the time its report was published. Public Harris County court records reviewed in connection with the case also show criminal filings against Torres in September.
Cruz faces a separate prosecution stemming from the investigation. ABC13 reported that he was charged with three counts of possession of visual material depicting the sexual assault of a child younger than 10. He had posted bond and was expected to return to court in October, according to the station. The charges against Cruz also remain allegations unless proven in court.
The case illustrates how investigators say a digital report can lead to a broader child exploitation investigation. In this case, authorities said the initial information about suspected illegal files led investigators to Cruz and later to Torres. The available records and reporting do not establish how many children were involved, and authorities have not publicly identified the minors.
Torres’ cases remain pending in Harris County. No final disposition was shown in the public records reviewed, and additional details about the evidence, the children involved and the defendants’ responses to all of the allegations have not been publicly established.
Author note: Last updated September 23, 2026.