In a shocking case of child exploitation, Ricardo Castillo, Jr., a 33-year-old San Antonio resident, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra on [no specific date provided].
The sentence comes after Castillo pleaded guilty to the charge on September 16, 2014. Castillo has remained in custody since his arrest on June 13, 2014.
According to court records, Castillo began text messaging with a 15-year-old female in Illinois in December 2013. The communication between the two eventually became sexual in nature, resulting in Castillo texting a sexually explicit photograph of himself to the minor. The child confided in Castillo that she was upset with her home life.
On April 25, 2014, Castillo drove from San Antonio to Illinois and picked the child up at the end of her street. Once in the car, Castillo removed the SIM card from the child’s phone and then transported her back to San Antonio, where he sexually assaulted her twice.
The child’s family filed a missing child report with the LaSalle County (IL) Sheriff’s Office on the day she disappeared. From the victim’s phone records, her father noted an unknown phone number, which belonged to Castillo.
Illinois law enforcement detected cell phone activity from the missing child’s cell phone in San Antonio on May 5, 2014. Coincidentally, that same day, the victim reached out to a friend via Facebook for help. The friend provided the victim’s location to her family, and a family member successfully recovered the missing child.
Judge Ezra also ordered that Castillo register as a sex offender for life.
Related Federal Cases
- Bobby Edwards Crews-Couch, Attempted Enticement and Inducement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Georgia 2024 · Washington
- Tracy L. Parker, Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Illinois 2023 · Illinois
- Robbie Newby, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Texas 2014 · Illinois
- Robbie Newby, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Texas 2012 · Illinois
- Michael Keith Rubino, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, California 2023 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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