Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced For Failure To Register

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Pedro Ramirez (40, Tampa) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender.  He pleaded guilty on July 23, 2015.

According to court documents, in 2002, Ramirez was convicted of sexual battery in Hillsborough County and, as a result, is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Following his conviction, Ramirez moved to Connecticut. In June 2013, he moved back to Hillsborough County and failed to register in Florida as a sex offender. While in Florida, he committed another sex offense against a minor.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the U.S. Marshals Service, to assist states in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.