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Press Release

South Texas Man Charged with Child Exploitation via Social Media Apps

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

McALLEN, Texas — A 22-year-old Alton man has been indicted for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Dan Eliud Moncada-Gonzalez was originally charged by criminal complaint June 11, 2019, as he arrived at a local spot to meet whom he thought was a 13-year-old female. Today, a federal grand jury returned the indictment charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ormsby July 11, 2019.

The complaint alleges that beginning June 11, 2019, Moncada enticed an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old female on a social media app. Moncada allegedly sent multiple unsolicited sexually explicit images of himself, and others, and requested to meet in person at an agreed upon location. The charges allege that in those conversations, he described sexual acts he desired to perform.

Moncada was taken into custody as he arrived at a local park, allegedly expecting to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

If convicted, Moncada faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation as part of the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Mitchell and Claire Nguyen are prosecuting the case. This case was 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 the 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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Updated July 3, 2019

Topic
Project Safe Childhood