A Guatemalan man living in Culver was sentenced this week to 30 months in federal prison after prosecutors said he crossed state lines to sexually abuse a minor. Leonias Juber Ramos‑Garcia, 26, also received five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in November. Authorities say the abuse involved repeated contact and two separate hotel encounters in central Oregon and in Washington state.
Prosecutors' timeline
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the case started in February 2025, when Ramos‑Garcia gave the minor a note with cash and professed his affection. Prosecutors say he escalated in March, sending sexually explicit messages and arranging a central Oregon hotel stay where the first abuse took place.
In April 2025, the office says, Ramos‑Garcia traveled from Oregon to Washington and booked a second hotel room, where he again sexually abused the victim. He later pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025, to traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, according to the same release.
How authorities say they built the case
Local reporting and court documents show Ramos‑Garcia was arrested in Culver after an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with assistance from the DEA, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and local police. Early coverage detailing the arrest and initial complaint was reported by regional outlets; for background on the arrest and charges, see reporting by KTVZ and related local coverage.
Sentence and next steps
A federal judge imposed the 30‑month prison term and five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren. The office noted that the matter was handled as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal prosecutions of child‑exploitation cases.
What the federal charge means
The charge Ramos‑Garcia admitted to, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, targets people who cross state or international lines to sexualize minors. Legal analyses and government materials note that travel‑related federal statutes can carry penalties that, in more aggravated or commercial cases, extend up to decades in prison. For additional context on how federal travel and sex‑tourism laws are applied, readers are directed to a National Academies overview of federal statutes and penalties.
Resources and reporting
Federal officials encourage anyone with information about the physical or online exploitation of children to contact Homeland Security Investigations or to submit tips to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Project Safe Childhood coordinates many of these prosecutions across federal, state and local partners; readers can learn more through the Office of Justice Programs and child‑protection resources at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
