Raylon Castillo, Statutory Rape, New Mexico 2015

Jicarilla Apache Man Sentenced for Rape

A 20-year-old man from the Jicarilla Apache Nation has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for statutory rape. Raylon Castillo, who resides in Dulce, N.M., was found guilty of engaging in a sexual act with a 14-year-old victim on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Otero County, N.M.

According to prosecutors, Castillo was arrested on December 18, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually assaulting the minor. He was subsequently indicted on May 20, 2015, and charged with sexual abuse of a minor. Castillo pleaded guilty to the indictment on July 1, 2015, and admitted to committing the crime.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

As part of his sentence, Castillo will be required to register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison sentence. He will also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The sentence is a result of his conviction for statutory rape, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The case highlights the severity of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and the need for continued efforts to protect vulnerable children. Project Safe Childhood has been instrumental in marshaling federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Raylon Castillo’s case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of child sexual abuse on victims and their families. It is essential that we continue to work together to prevent such crimes and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

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