West Texas man sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for using Facebook chat to entice girls to have sex with him

LUBBOCK, Texas — A West Texas man was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison, following his guilty plea in April to two counts of enticing a minor, and aiding and abetting.

This sentence was announced U.S. Attorney John R. Parker of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

According to documents filed in this case, beginning in March 2014 and continuing to about mid-December 2014, Jose Angel Zapata, 24, of San Angelo, Texas, engaged in a relationship with “Jane Doe 2.”  He used Facebook chat, in which he knowingly attempted to persuade, induce and entice Jane Doe 2 to have sex with him.  Zapata knew that Jane Doe 2 was under age 17.  In March 2014, Zapata met her in a San Angelo parking lot where they engaged in sexual activity.

From about September 2014 to early March 2015, Zapata also engaged in a relationship, using Facebook chat, with “Jane Doe 4,” a minor female.  In those communications, Zapata knowingly attempted to persuade, induce and entice Jane Doe 4 to engage in various sexual acts with him.  Zapata knew she was under age 17.  In his first communication with Jane Doe 4, Zapata offered to pay her $100 if she would engage in a specific sex act with him.  The following month, Jane Doe 4 asked Zapata to give her a ride.  He asked her if she would do anything for him if he gave her a ride, and she agreed that she would.  About one week later, Zapata met with Jane Doe 4, and they engaged in sexual activity.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy, Northern District of Texas, was in charge of the prosecution.

This investigation was conducted under 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 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.

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.