Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation a Minor

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 23, 2025, United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé sentenced Eric Jonuel Collazo-Colón to 135 months (11 years and 3 months) in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation charges against a female minor. Collazo-Colón, 34, from Orocovis, PR, was indicted on August 1^st, 2024, and plead guilty to the coercion and enticement of a minor on March 24, 2025.

According to court documents, from October 2023, through June 2024, Defendant Eric Jonuel Collazo Colon, used a cellular phone, internet instant text messaging services, and social media, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor when she was between 14 and 15 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, for which Collazo Colon could be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and Puerto Rico.

“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“This sentence brings to justice a teacher who abused his position of public trust to sexually exploit our most vulnerable, our children. Let this case serve as a warning to all individuals in positions of authority: the consequences are severe, and the repercussions are real. This individual does not represent the dedicated educators of Puerto Rico who work tirelessly every day to guide, protect and inspire our youth,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Juan. “This case also highlights the critical responsibility of parents and guardians to actively monitor digital devices, as predators often use technology to target minors. The parents’ intervention saved this victim from further emotional damage. HSI remains vigilant in safeguarding the mental health and safety of our children, and we continue to dedicate our resources to investigating crimes against minors.”

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant US Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.justice.gov/psc.

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