A Mexican national living in Georgia has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson handed down the sentence to Victorino De La Cruz, 43, of Mableton, Georgia, following his conviction on the charge. After serving his prison term, De La Cruz will be subject to five years of supervised release, must complete sex offender treatment, and is required to register as a sex offender. Authorities noted that De La Cruz’s work visa has been revoked and he may face deportation after completing his sentence.
According to court records, De La Cruz used social media under the name “Code_Magnolia” over several months to communicate with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The individual was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. During these interactions, De La Cruz sent sexually explicit messages and images of himself and requested similar content from the undercover officer. He also discussed meeting in person for illegal sexual activity and made plans to travel to Baton Rouge for this purpose before being arrested by law enforcement in December 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Anderson and Edward H. Warner, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross, prosecuted the case.
“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,” according to information provided by authorities. “Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.”
Further details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The prosecution also falls under Operation Take Back America—an initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues and dismantling transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts from various Department of Justice task forces.
