BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 29-year old McAllen man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Dassahed Marines pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Jr. ordered him to serve 120 months in federal prison. Marines will also serve 20 years on supervised released following completion of his prison term, during which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He must also register as a sex offender.

Between Dec. 6-7, 2018, Marines utilized a cell phone as well as the social media app called Whisper and KIK messaging app to attempt to persuade and entice a 13-year-old girl to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He made initial contact through Whisper, but continued messaging the minor explicit messages via KIK. In those conversations, he attempted to persuade the minor to meet at a local park for a sexual encounter. Marines was arrested once he arrived at the location.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano and Jose Esquivel Jr. prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.