Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Failing To Register
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Elder Auxume-Guerra (39, Honduras) has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Auxume-Guerra was convicted of attempted third degree rape in New York in 2016. As a result of his conviction, he was required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) to register as a sex offender and maintain his registration for a period of 20 years. Between March 2016 and October 2017, Auxume-Guerra moved from New York to Florida and failed to register as a sex offender in Florida.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the U.S. Marshals Service, to assist states in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
It is another case 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 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.justice.gov/psc.