A 28-year-old man from Turlock, Cristian Ceja, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison for transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The sentence was given by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ceja initiated a relationship with the 15-year-old victim after delivering food to her home while working as a delivery driver. He pursued the minor through social media, using her phone number to make contact. Over time, their unlawful relationship involved Ceja sneaking into her bedroom and keeping a storage unit with items from their encounters.
The situation escalated when the victim's mother found provocative photographs and alerted authorities. Ceja, attempting to evade law enforcement, fled with the victim on August 27, 2023. While on the run, he committed various acts to disguise their whereabouts, including using stolen license plates, altering his vehicle's appearance, and switching to using a "burner" phone, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A victim was rescued on January 3, 2024, from a remote area in Idaho where she had been living in a camper trailer for several months with Ceja. The victim contacted a family member through social media, saying she wanted to return home but could not leave Ceja. Law enforcement located and rescued her. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice program to fight child abuse and exploitation. Federal, state, and local agencies worked together to capture Ceja and rescue the victim, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
