Grimy Times Exclusive: Arturo Castro, a 53-year-old man from Illinois, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for traveling to Connecticut to engage in sex with a minor.
According to court documents, in December 2013, Castro began communicating with a 15-year-old female in Connecticut through an online app called ‘Chess with Friends.’ Using the app’s chat option, Castro asked the minor victim to send him naked photographs of herself, and subsequently enticed the minor victim to create videos depicting the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send those videos to Castro.
Castro also sent sexually explicit pictures and videos to the victim. In March 2014, Castro traveled from Illinois to Connecticut and engaged in illicit sexual activity with the minor victim.
Castro has been detained since his arrest on December 13, 2016. On June 5, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of use of an interstate facility to persuade a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss. This prosecution is part of the U.S. government’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Castro, a citizen of Mexico and lawful permanent resident of the U.S., faces immigration proceedings when he is released from prison.
Homeland Security Investigations in Hartford and Chicago, and the Clinton (Conn.) Police Department collaborated on the investigation.
Related Federal Cases
- Nicholas Murphy, Child Sex Trafficking, CT 2024 · Rhode Island
- Arturo Castro, Online Grooming and Child Abuse, IL 2024 · Illinois
- Arturo Castro, Interstate Sex Abuse, CT 2024 · Illinois
- Simon Hessler, Child Sex Abuse and Trafficking, CT 2023 · New York
- Connecticut Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Child Sex Abuse · New York
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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