Third Man Sentenced In Enticing A Minor Investigation

McALLEN, Texas - Jose Luis Garcia-Saldivar, 29, an undocumented alien from Mexico, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for enticing a minor, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson today. Garcia-Saldivar previously pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2012, admitting he intended to have sex with a minor for money.
 
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa heard additional evidence and ultimately handed Garcia-Saldivar a sentence of 121 months. Part of the evidence included that Garcia-Saldivar had requested the victim send him photographs of herself on her cell phone which constituted sexually explicit conduct. The sentence imposed today was enhanced because the minor victim was only 14 years of age at the time. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
 
In April 2012, a Pharr Police Department investigator contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents concerning the solicitation of a minor for sexual purposes. Agents recovered a cellular telephone that was being utilized by a 14-year-old minor to receive messages from adult males requesting sexual encounters in exchange for money. Posing as the minor, agents began conversing with the unknown males via text messages over the cell phone.
 
During this investigation, two others were arrested and subsequently charged in separate cases with enticing a minor. Felipe de Jesus Ponce-Torres, 25, of Mexico, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Micaela Alveraz and received a sentence of 120 months in prison. Teofanes Salas-Campos, 41, of Mission, entered his plea guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Randy Crane who sentenced him to 135 months in prison.
 
During their respective guilty pleas, all three men admitted they intended to have sex with an individual whom them believed was a minor and that they were going to pay the minor between $80 and $100.
 
All three men have been and will remain in custody.
 
The investigation leading to the charges against these defendants was conducted by HSI and Pharr Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Juan Villescas prosecuted the case.