CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison after pleading guilty to using social media to lure young girls to engage in sexual activity.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 35-year-old Robert Velasquez “used the victims’ social media accounts to determine they were local and underage. He then targeted them with complimentary messages and long conversations in order to get the girls to meet for sex. In some instances, he photographed the children during their physical encounters.”
Authorities found that Velasquez victimized over 10 young girls ranging from eight to 17-years-old.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said when Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack handed down the lifetime prison term, she said that given the nature of the defendant’s conduct and the damage he had done to the victims and their families, she felt she had no other sentence available to her that could properly protect the community.
Velasquez remains in custody and a restitution hearing will be held at a later date.
