A Democratic hopeful who once touted himself as a rising political figure is now facing a federal child pornography charge in the very district where he sought to replace outgoing District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
According to the Daily Caller, federal grand jurors indicted Angel Rios on February 5 for allegedly distributing child pornography to a user on X, after what began as a political discussion allegedly veered into graphic sexual fantasies involving children. The Department of Justice (DOJ) claims Rios initiated contact with a male witness on the platform in December, allegedly steering the exchange toward how the two could be an LGBT+ community leader power couple while secretly raping children, a chilling detail that underscores the gravity of the accusations.
Rios had previously filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as a candidate for Nortons seat, a position she is vacating after the 88-year-old announced her retirement in January. Local outlets reported Thursday that his name does not appear on Washingtons official candidate list for the delegate race, though his LinkedIn profile still describes him as a shadow candidate.
An attorney for Rios did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations requests for comment, leaving key questions about his defense strategy unanswered. His LinkedIn rsum lists a series of lofty political and civic roles the DCNF could not verify, including alleged work on Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign and leadership positions in the Downtown Policy Council of Washington D.C. and the D.C. Community Action Network.
What is verifiable, FEC filings show, is that Rios has repeatedly tried to enter Congress as a Democrat, filing to run in Californias 2022 elections and again in Mississippis 2024 contests. Those ambitions now collide with a serious federal case after an undercover agent began investigating Rios upon learning of his alleged messages to the unnamed witness, according to court records.
You liked what you saw. You want more of it, Rios allegedly told the undercover agent on Snapchat while discussing child sex abuse material. Kids are here to be used, he said, according to the DOJ, language that will likely weigh heavily on any jury assessing his intent and character.
Democrats are already eyeing 2026 as an opportunity to flip control of the House, but as the DCNF previously reported, polling suggests their prospects are far from certain. Allegations of this nature against a would-be Democratic candidate only add to broader concerns about vetting, judgment, and the partys ability to present credible standard-bearers as the nation continues to grapple with questions of moral leadership and public trust.
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