On May 14, 2025, Efraín Pablo Cruz-González was sentenced to 450 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll for child exploitation charges involving four female minors. Following his prison term, Cruz-González will undergo 15 years of supervised release. The 36-year-old from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, was indicted on February 15, 2024, and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025.
Court documents reveal that between August 2019 and May 2022, Cruz-González used a cellular phone to record sexually explicit conduct involving two female minors aged between seven and ten years old and another between four and seven years old. Additionally, on December 24, 2019, and August 19, 2021, he coerced two other prepubescent female minors into producing images of sexually explicit conduct.
W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico stated: “The defendant engaged in acts of sexual exploitation against defenseless children and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification.” He emphasized the commitment of prosecutors and law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation.
Devin J. Kowalski from the FBI San Juan Field Office remarked: “Let this sentence serve as a clear warning—there is no safe haven in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands for predators who exploit children.” He praised the efforts of agents and partners in pursuing justice with urgency.
The FBI conducted the investigation while Assistant US Attorney Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case under the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit.
Citizens are encouraged to report information about child exploitation crimes to assist federal investigations by contacting the FBI San Juan Field Office or using their online portal.
This case aligns with Project Safe Childhood's mission to combat child sexual exploitation since its inception by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The initiative aims to enhance efforts at various governmental levels to prosecute offenders exploiting children via the internet.
