Missouri Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation

SHERMAN, Texas — A 30-year-old Missouri man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Nathan Oliva pleaded guilty on January 28, 2016, to sex trafficking of children and was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. 

According to information presented in court, an unidentified person called in a tip to the Denton Police Department that a child was being trafficked by Oliva and was at a hotel in Denton, Texas.  Denton Police officers located a classified ad on Backpage.com that offered the child for sexual activity.  Officers went to the hotel, where they located the victim and the defendant.  The victim, who had injuries sustained from an assault by Oliva, told the officers that she was in fear for her life because Oliva had injured her and had threatened her with greater harm.  Moreover, Oliva had taken control of her cell phone, driver’s license, and social security card.  Oliva had also threated to harm the parents of the victim.  As part of his plea, Oliva admitted to posting ads on Backpage.com that offered the victim, who was younger than 18-years-old, for commercial sex.  Oliva was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2015.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Denton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Marisa J. Miller.