A Virginia truck driver has admitted in federal court to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced that David Romero Reyes, 55, of Stafford, Virginia, pleaded guilty as charged by indictment. No plea agreement was filed in this case. Sentencing is set for December 2, 2025. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case stems from an incident in April 2021 when Naval Station Newport Police detained Romero Reyes after a routine background check flagged an outstanding felony assault of a child charge from Texas as he attempted to enter the Navy base for a delivery. During a routine inspection, police found a young girl inside the sleeping compartment of his truck. Medical examination at Hasbro Children’s Hospital revealed she was about five months pregnant. The girl had been reported missing from her home in Virginia since July 2020 when she was 14 years old. Investigators determined that Romero Reyes was known to both the girl and her family before her disappearance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and John P. McAdams are prosecuting the case. The investigation involved Naval Station Newport Police, the FBI, and Rhode Island State Police.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders and rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc
