DC congressional candidate charged with distributing child porn

WASHINGTON - A Washington, D.C., man who was running for the District's congressional seat was charged with distributing child pornography over social media, newly unsealed court documents reveal.

What we know:

Angel Anthony Rios was charged in January with sharing explicit videos of children over X.

According to the criminal complaint, Rios had sent a direct message to another user to discuss politics. The conversation eventually got sexual, officials said, with Rios revealing he was sexually attracted to children. Rios allegedly told the user about previous sexual encounters with underage boys, adding that he fantasized about "drugging boys from the local high schools."

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Shortly after that, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Rios shared five videos allegedly showing a man sexually assaulting his three-year-old son, adding that he "managed to talk the dad into doing it for me."

The person who received the videos shared them with the FBI. Federal officials then linked the X account to an email address and phone number connected to Rios.

The FBI then sent an undercover agent to pose as the person Rios originally messaged. During that conversation, according to court documents, Rios admitted he believed "kids are here to be used," and that he had more explicit videos of children.

What we don't know:

According to a screenshot of a LinkedIn profile connected to Rios, Rios was running for the District's congressional seat, though he is not listed on the District Board of Elections' candidate list for the June 16 primary.

What they're saying:

"Those who exploit children will find no refuge," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a press release. "My office will pursue swift and decisive prosecution of anyone involved in the creation, possession, or distribution of child sexual abuse material."