Tehama County Man Returned to the United States to Face Federal Charges

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eduardo Castillo, 38, of Corning, was returned to the United States to face federal charges of online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes after he had fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution. Castillo is currently in custody at the Sacramento County Jail and is awaiting his initial appearance before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement today.

On Aug. 15, 2023, Mexican law enforcement officials from the State of Colima’s Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalia General del Estado de Colima) apprehended Castillo in La Presa, Colima, Mexico. Subsequently, on Aug. 16, 2023, Castillo was deported by Mexican Immigration (Instituto Nacional de Migración) for having an irregular immigration status in Mexico. Castillo’s return to the United States to face prosecution is funded by the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit.

Castillo was indicted on Dec. 15, 2022, charged with four counts of online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes. According to court documents, between about Aug. 23 and Aug. 27, 2020, Castillo used a cellphone and the internet to entice at least four minor victims into sending him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The FBI continues to collaborate with its law enforcement partners to apprehend criminals charged with crimes who then flee the jurisdiction. Cases seeking information from the public, including fugitive matters, are posted on the FBI Sacramento Field Office’s Most Wanted page, and the FBI Wanted app. Anyone with information that may aid the investigation of these cases may contact their local FBI office, United States embassy, or submit information online at tips.fbi.gov.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Castillo faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.