A Santo Domingo man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a minor after grooming her through social media. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Jordian Pacheco, 33, will also face 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender upon his release.

Pacheco, an enrolled member of the Santa Domingo Pueblo, was arrested on January 10, 2021. The arrest followed an incident where the victim's mother found him hiding in her daughter's closet. Navajo Police Department officers detained Pacheco, who initially provided false identification.

Court documents revealed that Pacheco developed a relationship with the 14-year-old victim over TikTok and email during the year prior to his arrest. He did not disclose his true age to the victim. On January 9, 2021, he traveled to her home on the Navajo Nation and engaged in sexual acts with her while her mother was away.

The investigation uncovered that Pacheco had contacted minors online using aliases such as "youngduke12," "Little Felon," and "Scott Little Felon." He attempted to meet minors at local high school events while misrepresenting his age.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentencing. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated with assistance from the Navajo Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting this case under Project Safe Childhood. This initiative aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by marshaling resources to locate and prosecute offenders and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.