ALBUQUERQUE – A grim morning in Las Cruces saw Michael Ray Sepulveda, 38, of Silver City, solemnly admit to federal charges of child exploitation and child pornography. The plea agreement paints a dire future for Sepulveda, who faces up to 25 years in prison followed by lifelong supervised release. His sex offender status will be indefinitely appended upon his release.
The October 2016 arrest came after Sepulveda was charged with enticing a minor into sexual activity and producing child pornography, which he transmitted across state lines between July and November 2015. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office and FBI swiftly moved to investigate, their probe sparked by the sinister revelations of Sepulveda’s crimes.
According to court documents, Sepulveda preyed on an underage victim through a social networking site, masquerading as a teenager and leading the minor into producing explicit content. His efforts were thwarted when he attempted to meet the victim for sexual acts, though his sinister intentions remained clear.
In today’s hearing, Sepulveda confessed to using the online platform to persuade the minor to produce pornographic images of herself and attempt face-to-face encounters. He admitted sending lewd material to induce the minor into creating child pornography specifically for him. The plea agreement specifies that between July 29, 2015, and November 15, 2015, the minor sent five explicit images to Sepulveda.
Under the terms of his plea deal, Sepulveda is banned from using social media sites and must seek approval for any online activity. He also faces a restitution order of $15,000 to the victims of his exploitation. Currently in custody, Sepulveda’s sentencing hearing remains unscheduled.
This case was spearheaded by Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative targeting child sexual exploitation, with assistance from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia prosecutes on behalf of this crucial initiative.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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