San Lorenzo man sentenced to 24½ years for child exploitation, human trafficking

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A 65-year-old man was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 24½ years in prison followed by five years of supervised released for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct and human trafficking. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD).

HSI special agents arrested Manual A. Natal-Bracetti, of San Lorenzo, after an HSI investigation stemming from a March 24, 2014, referral from PRPD that revealed he transported, on several occasions, a 12-year-old girl, identified as Jane Doe, in order to engage her in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, Natal-Bracetti picked up Jane Doe at her residence in Cidra, paid her between $20 and $80 and transported her to his farm located near the border of the San Lorenzo, Yabucoa and Patillas districts, with the intent to engage the minor in criminal sexual conduct.

Natal-Bracetti directed Jane Doe, in the event she became pregnant, to tell everyone that the father of the baby was somebody else. The charging document further alleges that Jane Doe became pregnant when she was 12 years old and again a year later. Natal-Bracetti told her to hide her abdominal area with loose-fitting clothes to avoid people noticing her pregnancy. He also told Jane Doe to drink "hot malts" to induce a miscarriage.

The second time Jane Doe became pregnant, her mother decided to take her to the police in order to determine the name of father. On Sept. 11, 2011, PRPD agents interviewed Jane Doe and she revealed that Natal-Bracetti was the father of her two children. A DNA test later confirmed him as the biological father.

In June 2011, in response to the need for an island-wide approach to fighting the escalation of predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan partnered with members of local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local and state government officials and community leaders, to form the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF).

Through PRCACTF, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources to jointly investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Through the task force, law enforcement officers are encouraged to share evidence, ideas, and investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, PRCACTF allows law enforcement to speak with one unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.

The investigation is part of HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 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 2013, 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.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.