Federal prosecutors in North Texas have announced a series of lengthy prison sentences in immigration and child exploitation cases that extend from Plainview to Irving.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas recently reported that four defendants were sentenced. Among them, two men, described by prosecutors as being in the country illegally, received decades-long federal sentences for child sexual exploitation offenses. The other two defendants received multi-year prison terms for illegal reentry after previous removals and violent felony convictions.
The following is a summary of the announced prosecutions:
Federal Prosecutions Digest — Northern District of Texas
In the Chavez case, Raybould said, “The defendant exploited a young boy’s innocence and vulnerability,” adding, “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the most vulnerable and innocent in our North Texas communities are protected from being exploited by sexual predators.”
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said, “The significant sentence imposed on the defendant sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work to protect the children in our communities and hold child predators accountable.”
In both illegal reentry cases, federal judges ordered the federal prison terms to run consecutively to state sentences, according to prosecutors.
An indictment is an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The cases were investigated by federal and local agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Irving Police Department, and the Plainview Police Department, according to press releases. The announcements were made by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould.