Brownwood, Texas, Man Admits Enticing A Minor Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

AMARILLO, Texas — Luis Gerardo Alvarado, 22, appeared in federal court yesterday afternoon, before U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson, and pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor and aiding and abetting.  While a sentencing date was not set, Alvarado, who is in custody, faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release.  Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, while living in Brownwood, Texas, Alvarado met a minor female, who lived in Coleman County, Texas, by contacting her through Facebook chat.  From mid-March 2013 until April 8, 2013, Alvarado communicated with the minor female and attempted to persuade and entice her to engage in sexual activity with him.  Alvarado knew the minor female was under 17 years of age.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”      

The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Coleman Police Department, the Santa Anna Police Department and the Brownwood Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is in charge of the prosecution.