An Indiana man has been slapped with a 20-year prison term for his nefarious plot to sexually exploit a minor after crossing state lines. Diego A. Montes-Roldan, 27, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, earning himself a lifetime of supervised release after his imprisonment.
The perverted scheme was to quickly unravel when eagle-eyed parents caught wind of Montes-Roldan's despicable actions, leading to swift apprehension by law enforcement. "Predators are actively scouting for victims online, but quick detection by parents and strong action by law enforcement can help to safeguard children," U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe remarked in a statement.
Court records reveal the charge stemmed from text message conversations that Montes-Roldan had with two separate 14-year-old teens he conned into talking to him via social media, discussing plans to have sexual intercourse with both. Police were tipped off in October 2021 about his chats with one of the minors, leading to an investigation by the FBI that culminated in his arrest.
"This sentence puts Montes-Roldan behind bars for a significant amount of time and prevents further exploitation of innocent children," FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez explained. In a collaborative effort spotlighting the gravity of such vile offenses, the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation and the Porter County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Office played key roles in closing the net on the offender.
The prosecution of this disturbing case falls under the banner of Project Safe Childhood, a comprehensive DOJ initiative to rigorously combat child sexual exploitation. Since its inception in May 2006, it has been unyielding in its pursuit to locate and punish internet predators and to rescue the innocents they target.
