Rafael Mercado Berrios, Child Enticement, Illinois 2021

Man Convicted of Attempting to Lure Minor for Sex

A federal jury in Springfield, Illinois has convicted Rafael Mercado Berrios, 42, of the 1200 block of N. 4th St., of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and using the internet and cell phone to transmit information about a minor.

The jury delivered the guilty verdicts on June 4, 2021, after deliberating for nearly 90 minutes. Sentencing for Berrios is scheduled on October 15, 2021.

During the two and a half days of trial, which began on June 2, 2021, the government presented evidence that Berrios used a social media application to engage with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl in late August 2020. He also attempted to meet the girl at a Springfield residence on August 28, 2020.

Berrios has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on August 28, 2020. At sentencing, he faces a statutory penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison.

The charges against Berrios are the result of an investigation by the FBI – Springfield Division, with the assistance of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield Police Department, and the Illinois State Police, with the assistance of the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Gregory K. Harris represented the federal government at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the federal government to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil/pr/jury-convicts-springfield-man-attempted-child-enticement