A Connecticut man was hauled from Spain to face chilling charges of child sexual abuse in Michigan, federal authorities declared. Kristian Ignacio Feliz, 24, admitted in a guilty plea that he used the messaging platform Discord to manipulate a young girl from Kalamazoo into sending him explicit images and filmed his abuse of her, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Federal agents extradited Feliz last November after Spanish authorities nabbed him at the request of the U.S. government. The abuse took place from October 2022 through January 2023, culminating in a predatory journey to Kalamazoo where Feliz created inappropriate videos of himself with the child between Jan. 3-5. "Those who dare to victimize innocent children will face the full force of the law," Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, Cheyvoryea Gibson, asserted in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit.
Under the heat of federal law, Feliz caved with a guilty confession during his court appearance on February 8. "My office is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens from child exploitation," stated U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. Details from the indictment indicate that at least one video of the act was uploaded to Feliz's Discord account, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Feliz could be staring down 15 years to a maximum of 30 years behind bars, with sentencing set for May 29, 2024.
The case isn't just a solitary battle but is nested within Project Safe Childhood, a broad coalition geared at shielding the youth from the grips of online predation and abuse. KDPS Chief David Boysen acknowledged the complexities of such cases and the importance of collaboration with federal law forces. "Only due to the continued partnerships and support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, the FBI, and the Task Force Officer’s position, we were able to see a successful outcome in this investigation," Boysen relayed, as per the press release from U.S. Attorney's Office.
