A Laredo man has been indicted on charges of enticing three separate minors and possessing child sexual abuse material, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Emanuel Valdez, 30, was initially charged by criminal complaint on July 16 and remains in custody as legal proceedings continue. A federal grand jury has now returned a four-count indictment against him.
The indictment alleges that Valdez communicated with a 14-year-old girl for about two years after meeting her through online video games. In January, their conversations allegedly became sexual, with Valdez sending explicit messages and requesting photos from the minor. The indictment states that he attempted several times to arrange meetings at hotels and offered digital gift cards in exchange for sexually explicit images.
Investigators also linked Valdez to a second 14-year-old victim whom he allegedly tried to meet for sex. He is accused of acknowledging the illegality of such a meeting and encouraging the minor to deceive her parents.
A third alleged victim was also involved, according to the indictment. Valdez is accused of expressing sexual interest and attempting to arrange a meeting while her parents were away, as well as sending a chart depicting various sexual positions.
Authorities executed a search warrant on July 17, discovering thousands of photos and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
“Protecting minors from the depraved schemes of online sexual predators is a top priority for the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “If somebody takes to the internet to prey on children, they are going to find their world turned upside down by this office. SDTX will pursue these online predators to the ends of the internet and to all four corners of the globe.”
“This indictment represents a critical step toward holding accountable those who target our most vulnerable population-our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We will continue to pursue these child predators tirelessly through the work of our FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.”
If convicted, Valdez could face up to life in prison and fines up to $250,000 per charge.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with help from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina. The public is encouraged to contact the FBI at 210-225-6741 if they have information about other possible victims or believe they have been affected.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting this case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about PSC can be found on DOJ’s PSC page (https://www.justice.gov/psc), which also provides resources for internet safety education (https://www.justice.gov/psc/resources).
An indictment is not evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
