John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, announced that JOSE MANUEL SANTOS, 36, of Bridgeport, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with transfer of obscene materials to a minor, and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
As alleged in the complaint, earlier this week, law enforcement received information that Santos, a school bus/van driver, was sexually soliciting a 13-year-old girl who was a passenger on his route. The mother of the minor victim provided the victim’s cell phone to investigators. Preliminary analysis of the cell phone revealed a sexually explicit photo of Santos that Santos sent to the minor victim, and text messages from Santos, including a text message asking the minor victim to send him a sexually explicit photo of her.
Santos appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and is detained.
The charge of transfer of obscene materials to a minor carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
