Source: US FBI
LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old Laredo resident has been charged with enticing a 14-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Originally charged by criminal complaint July 16, Emanuel Valdez remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
A federal grand jury has now returned the four-count indictment.
The charges allege that Valdez had been communicating with a 14-year-old minor female for approximately two years after “meeting” her while playing video games online. In January, the conversations became sexual in nature, according to the allegations. Valdez allegedly started sending sexually explicit texts to the minor and asking her to send pictures of herself. The charges allege the conduct escalated with Valdez attempting several times to make plans to meet with the minor at a hotel and pay her to have sex with him. Valdez also allegedly provided her with digital gift cards in exchange for pictures of herself posing in a sexual manner.
The investigation linked him to a second victim he tried to arrange meetings with for sex, according to the indictment. He had allegedly talked with another 14-year-old girl about taking her virginity. The charges allege Valdez acknowledged that meeting her for sex would be illegal and suggested she lie to her parents and come up with an excuse to leave the house.
He also talked with another person he believed was also only 14, according to the indictment. In those conversations, he allegedly expressed a sexual interest in the girl and attempted to make plans to meet up and have sex with her, suggesting they do so when her parents were not home. Valdez also sent a chart of the various sexual positions he wanted to engage in with her, according to the allegations.
Authorities executed a search warrant July 17 which resulted in the discovery of thousands of photos and videos of child sexual abuse material.
“Protecting minors from the depraved schemes of online sexual predators is a top priority for the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “If somebody takes to the internet to prey on children, they are going to find their world turned upside down by this office. SDTX will pursue these online predators to the ends of the internet and to all four corners of the globe.”
“This indictment represents a critical step toward holding accountable those who target our most vulnerable population-our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We will continue to pursue these child predators tirelessly through the work of our FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.”
If convicted, Valdez faces up to life in prison. All charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, Police Department. If you have any information about other possible victims or believe you have been victimized, please contact the FBI at 210-225-6741.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.