Carlos Julian Ruiz, 29, of San Angelo, was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam after being convicted of sexually exploiting two minors. Already a registered sex offender for a previous conviction, Ruiz was found to have used a mobile messaging app group to further the sexual exploitation of children, sharing images of victims and assaulting multiple girls, including a seven-year-old between September 2022 and January 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An FBI investigation revealed that Ruiz had gained access to two young girls, ages three and two, by befriending their parents and subjected them to long-term abuse. Authorities said Ruiz admitted in a plea agreement that he allowed his co-defendant, Trevor Metterhauser, who is still awaiting trial, to assault the children and create child abuse material. In December 2022, Ruiz took the girls to a San Antonio hotel, where Oxycodone was allegedly used to facilitate the assault, which he recorded on video. Ruiz was arrested in February 2023 and faced charges in both the Western and Northern Districts of Texas. In November 2024, he pled guilty to four of the five charges against him and is expected to spend most of his remaining life in federal prison, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said, "Those who use children for their own twisted sexual gratification will not walk free in the Western District of Texas," after the conviction of Ruiz. FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp stated, "A violent offender who committed unspeakable and abhorrent crimes against children has been brought to justice," noting the cooperation of FBI offices in San Antonio, Dallas, and Albany, New York, along with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson, led to the rescue of multiple victims, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
