Bayamón Psychologist Sentenced to 19 years and 7 months of Imprisonment for the Attempted Coercion and Enticement of Two Minor Females

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico announced that this afternoon psychologist Samuel Pérez-Figueroa was sentenced to 235 months of imprisonment, equivalent to 19 years and 7 months, by Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for the attempted coercion and enticement of two minor females. Pérez-Figueroa will also have to serve an additional 6 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

Pursuant to the facts admitted by Perez-Figueroa as part of his plea agreement, he used a cellular telephone and internet instant messaging capabilities from October through November 2021 to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two female minors, a 15-year-old and an 11-year-old, to engage in illegal sexual activity. Perez-Figueroa used his cellular phone to solicit sexually explicit images from two minors he was contracted to provide mental health services to. Chief Judge Arias indicated during the sentencing hearing that this crime was particularly disgraceful because Perez-Figueroa abused his position of trust as a psychologist. Instead of being a source of comfort for his patients, he chose to traumatize these minor victims.

The FBI conducted the investigation and Assistant United States Attorney and Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, prosecuted the charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI encourage other victims of sexual extortion to report this type of criminal behavior. If you or anyone you know has been the victim or a witness to this or any other federal crime, please call (787) 987-6500 or visit tips.fbi.gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
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