Illegal Alien Convicted of Attempted Enticement and Coercion of a Minor and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography

DENNIS SORTO-ENAMORADO, age 30, an illegal alien from Honduras and most recently living in Metairie, Louisiana, was convicted as charged today by a federal jury, announced United States Attorney Jim Letten. He was charged with, and convicted of, attempting to entice and coerce a minor to have sex with him (count one) and attempting to receive child pornography from that same minor (count two).

According to evidence introduced at trial, SORTO-ENAMORADO posted a lewd and sexually explicit classified advertisement on Craigslist.org seeking a casual sexual encounter. On August 2, 2010, as part of a proactive online undercover operation involving federal, state, and local authorities designed to target predators of children, an FBI agent serving in an undercover capacity as a 15-year-old girl, responded to the advertisement. Despite being informed on several occasions that the “girl” was only 15, SORTO-ENAMORADO detailed, in graphic and explicit terms, the nature of the sexual contact he wished to have with the girl. SORTO-ENAMORADO also instructed the “girl,” on multiple occasions, to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.

During the correspondence, SORTO-ENAMORADO also informed the “girl” that he wished to meet her for the purpose of having sex. He then drove from his home, in Metairie, Louisiana, to the Central Business District of New Orleans, where he believed the girl was staying. While he was driving to the CBD, SORTO-ENAMORADO continued to correspond with the “girl” by text message and cell phone. Upon his arrival at the hotel room where he believed the “girl” was staying alone, SORTO-ENAMORADO was apprehended by law enforcement agents. After being read his Miranda rights, SORTO-ENAMORADO confessed to e-mailing, calling, and texting the girl, believing that she was 15 years old and doing so for the sole purpose of having sex with her. A subsequent search revealed that SORTO-ENAMORADO was in possession of two condoms.

During the course of the trial, the government called numerous witnesses, including special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s cyber squad, a special agent and forensic examiner with the United States Department of Homeland Security, two forensic examiners with the FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team, as well as an Investigator with the Hi-Tech Crime Unit of the Louisiana Department of Justice. Through these witnesses, the government established that SORTO-ENAMORADO used his computer, the Internet, and a cellular telephone in an attempt to lure and coerce a minor into having sex with him and in an attempt to obtain sexually explicit pictures of a minor.

Upon his conviction, SORTO-ENAMORADO was remanded into custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for December 14, 2011, at 9:00 a.m.

At the time of sentencing, SORTO-ENAMORADO faces up to life in prison with respect to count one and up to 20 years in prison with respect to count two. SORTO-ENAMORADO also faces up to a lifetime term of supervised release and a $250,000.00 fine per count. Additionally, SORTO-ENAMORADO will be required to register as a sex offender. SORTO-ENAMORADO is also subject to removal from the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Department of Justice as part of Project Safe Childhood. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Brian Klebba.