Patrick R. Minga, 50, a former resident of Cape Coral, Florida, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for attempting to induce and facilitate the travel of an individual from Brevard County, Florida, to Quito, Ecuador, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls.
According to court documents, Minga advertised a sex tourism business in Ecuador on Craigslist, which could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals, and unlimited access to females for a fee. An undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Task Force discovered the ad and contacted Minga, who attempted to induce and arrange the travel of the agent from Florida to Quito.
Over the course of several months, Minga advised the undercover agent that he could provide sexual encounters with minors as young as 13 and 14 years of age. On March 2, 2014, Minga traveled from Ecuador to the United States, where he was arrested by agents in Huntsville, Alabama.
“HSI remains committed to stopping criminals from exploiting children globally,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “As evidenced by this case, HSI will continue to work with our local and transnational law enforcement partners, like the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and utilize every available resource to target child predators who travel internationally with the sole intent to exploit and victimize the innocence of children.”
Following his release from prison, Minga was ordered to serve 20 years of supervision, have no contact with minors, and register as a sex offender. This case is another example of interagency cooperation that targets criminals who prey upon children. “If your intent is to harm a child, our intent is to track you down and bring you to justice!” stated Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda. It is 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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