News Releases

Previously convicted sex offender sentenced for new offense of transporting a minor to engage in sex

BALTIMORE - U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Luis Vallejo, 28, a citizen of Mexico living in Newark, Del., on June 18 to 10 years in prison followed by supervised release for life for transporting a minor to engage in sex. Vallejo is a convicted sex offender and was wanted in Delaware for failure to register as a sex offender.

The sentence was announced by U. S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore William Winter; Cecil County Sheriff Barry A. Janney, Sr. and Cecil County State's Attorney Christopher Eastridge.

"This case reveals the disturbing truth that some adults will go to great lengths to sexually exploit minors," said Winter. "The sentencing today shows ICE's commitment to apprehending and presenting for prosecution cases that victimize our children. ICE will continue working with federal, state and local agencies to ensure that those who try to hurt children are brought to justice."

"Luis Vallejo is a repeat offender who should have been registered as a sex offender," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to Vallejo's plea agreement, on Dec. 8, 2008, he picked up a 12-year-old girl from a bus stop in Delaware and took her to a hotel in Elkton, Md., where he sexually assaulted her. The girl's mother contacted police after she was notified that the girl was not at school. Officers learned from another student that Vallejo, known by his alias Jesus Guzman, was renting a room in the house where the girl lived and had picked the girl up from the bus stop. Vallejo dropped the girl off at the bus stop while the police were speaking to her parents. Vallejo was arrested on Jan. 30, 2009, in connection with a traffic stop in New York City.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 12,800 individuals.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.