Hector Capetillo Rodriguez, Child Enticement, TX, 2012

BEAUMONT, Texas – Hector Capetillo Rodriguez, a 39-year-old Edinburg, Texas native, has been handed a federal prison sentence of 120 months for enticing a minor at Port Neches Park. The grim details of his downfall were revealed today as U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced the verdict.

On May 30, 2012, Rodriguez, under the guise of seeking help with a toy purchase, approached a child inside a Port Arthur Wal-Mart and coerced the minor into providing their cellular phone number. The predator’s sinister game escalated as he began sending lewd text messages to his young victim later that evening.

Alerted by an adult family member who spotted the inappropriate texts, police quickly stepped in. Undercover officers continued the conversation with Rodriguez, who moved forward with plans for a face-to-face meeting at Port Neches Park, believing it would be a sexual encounter with the child. The sting operation resulted in Rodriguez’s swift and decisive arrest.

This case is a testament to the nationwide Project Safe Childhood initiative, established by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in 2006, the program has been instrumental in identifying and apprehending predators like Rodriguez, ensuring the safety of our youth.

Investigations into this heinous crime were a joint effort between HSI/ICE, the Port Arthur Police Department, and the Port Neches Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice led the prosecution.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and its efforts to protect children from exploitation and abuse, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.