Fresno-area youth director sentenced to over 12 years in prison for enticement of a minor
FRESNO, Calif. – A former director of the Firebaugh Boys and Girls Club was sentenced Monday to more than 12 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Firebaugh Police Department.
Juan Martin Torres, 28, of Firebaugh, appeared before U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii Monday morning. According to evidence presented at trial in February, Torres, who served as the director of the Firebaugh Boys and Girls Club. was supervising a 14-year-old boy who often came to the club after school to complete 120 hours of community service. Torres sent the boy messages over Facebook offering to shortcut the boy’s community service requirement if he agreed to sexual acts with Torres. The boy reported the messages to law enforcement.
“We trust those in positions like the one held by the defendant to protect our children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “In committing this crime, the defendant committed an incredible breach of trust with the community, and we are grateful for the hard work by our partners in federal and local law enforcement to bring him to justice.”
“Torres’ heinous violation of the trust afforded to him as a mentor and protector remains appalling,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge of HSI San Francisco. “His sentence is befitting of his disturbing crime and should be seen as a clear message that HSI and our law enforcement partners will make certain that anyone who chooses to exploit innocent children will be held accountable for their actions.”
This case is a product of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators.
Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, 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.justice.gov/psc.
Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
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