LAREDO, Texas - A 35-year-old former sergeant with the National Guard who was stationed in Weslaco has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. A federal jury convicted Curtis Billups, of San Antonio, on July 17, 2015, following a three-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, who presided over the trial, ordered Billups serve 151 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo commented on the danger Billups poses because he acts on his thoughts.
Billups was working the area as part an enhanced border presence. In late March 2015, Billups made contact via the Internet with a person he believed to be a father offering his 12 and 14-year-old daughters for sex. In reality, the individual was actually an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Following approximately a week of correspondence, Billups traveled from Weslaco to Laredo to meet with the undercover agent, believing he would be taken to the girls to have sex with them. Instead, he was arrested and taken into custody.
During trial, the government presented the emails and text messages involving Billups, many of which were sexually explicit in nature. The evidence showed he intended to travel to Laredo to have sex with the two fictitious children.
Billups attempted to convince the jury that he believed the communications were part of a role playing game and that no children were actually involved. The jury was not convinced and convicted him as charged.
Billups will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa and Jorge Vela prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
