Acoma Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse Offense

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that Alexander Frank Torivio, 24, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma, pleaded guilty this morning to a one-count federal information charging him with engaging in a sexual act with a minor who was between the age of 12 and 16 years old before United States Magistrate Judge Alan C. Torgerson. Torivio entered his guilty plea under an agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office which recommends a sentence of 30 months' imprisonment. Torivio also will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence. Torivio was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service after he entered his guilty plea.

Torivio was arrested on April 23, 2010 based on a criminal complaint. The criminal complaint alleges that Torivio had sexual intercourse with a minor child on multiple occasions between February 2009, when the child was 12 years old, and November 2009, when the child was 13 years old. It further alleges that this pattern of unlawful conduct occurred during a time when Torivio was the child’s teacher. In his plea agreement, Torivio admitted to having sexual intercourse with the child in November 2009, when she was 13 years old. Torivio further admitted that he knew that the child’s age because he was a teacher at Laguna Middle School where the child was enrolled as a student.

The case was investigated by the Pueblo of Laguna Police Department, the Pueblo of Acoma Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni.