United States Attorney Delia L. Smith has announced that Juan Bermudez, a 66-year-old resident of St. Croix, has pleaded guilty to charges of coercion and enticement as well as possession of child pornography. The plea was entered before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III. Following this conviction, Bermudez is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and could potentially receive life imprisonment. The final sentence will be determined by a federal judge after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.

"This case is a painful reminder of the inherent dangers the children of our Territory face every day," stated United States Attorney Smith. She emphasized the importance of community involvement in reporting sexual abuse cases and reaffirmed the Department of Justice's commitment to pursuing justice against those who misuse their positions to exploit children.

Court documents reveal that on May 1, 2023, Bermudez engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor aged between 13 and 18 years old and recorded the act on his cell phone. A search warrant uncovered multiple images depicting child sexual abuse material involving the minor victim on his device. Text messages between Bermudez and the minor victim indicated coercive behavior where he used the term "Cookie" to refer to sexual favors from the victim.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations along with the Virgin Islands Police Department, while prosecution efforts were led by Assistant United States Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Everard Potter. This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.

Project Safe Childhood brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to locate offenders exploiting children online and rescue victims involved in such cases. More information about this initiative can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.

Homeland Security Investigations urges individuals to report suspected child predators or suspicious activities through its toll-free hotline at (800) 981-3030 or by calling (787) 729-6969.