PLANO, Texas – A 47-year-old Saginaw, Texas man has been found guilty of attempted child coercion and enticement in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno today.

               Adam Rene Rodriguez was found guilty by a jury today of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor following a trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan. 

               According to information presented at trial, on May 3, 2019, Rodriguez was arrested by members of the FBI Dallas Field Office and the Plano Police Department when he traveled to Plano to engage in sex acts with an individual he believed to be a 14-year old child. 

               During the 4-day trial, jurors heard that an undercover agent entered a sexually-oriented messaging group that was run by Rodriguez.  Between April 10, 2019 and May 3, 2019, Rodriguez engaged in continuing messages with the undercover persona, even after being  repeatedly advised of the persona's age.  In the messages, Rodriguez (as username "Texasarod") repeatedly asked for photos of the child, sent the child sexually explicit material, and offered to "train" the child to engage in various sex acts.  Evidence presented to the jury also included messages in which Rodriguez instructed the child on how to conceal her online activities and avoid detection by her parents.  The exchanges culminated in a meeting on May 3, 2019, to which Rodriguez arrived in his personal vehicle and bringing condoms and sexual lubricant in order to engage in illegal sex acts with the child.  Rodriguez testified on his own behalf, contending that he believed that he was communicating with an adult who was role playing or fantasizing about pretending to be a child.

               “This is another example of the dangers that are out there online for children,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown.  “Law enforcement will continue to be aggressive in deterring this behavior.  Predators should know by now that we are online as well, and they will eventually be caught.”

               Under federal statutes, Rodriguez faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison at sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

               This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.              

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Plano Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Lesley Brooks.

 

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