Former Florida Resident Sentenced for Attempted Sex Trafficking

Orlando, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Patrick R. Minga (50, formerly of Cape Coral) to four years and nine months in federal prison for to attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of an individual from Brevard County, Florida, to Quito, Ecuador, so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls.  In addition, following his release from prison, Minga was ordered to serve 20 years of supervision, to have no contact with minors, and must register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, Minga advertised, on Craigslist, a sex tourism business in Ecuador that could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals, and unlimited access to females for a fee. An undercover agent with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Task Force observed the ad and contacted Minga.  Over the course of several months, Minga tried to induce and arrange the travel of the agent from Florida to Quito, where Minga advised that he could provide sexual encounters with minors as young as 13 and 14 years of age.

On March 2, 2014, Minga traveled from Ecuador to the United States, where he was arrested by agents in Huntsville, Alabama.

“HSI remains committed to stopping criminals from exploiting children globally,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “As evidenced by this case, HSI will continue to work with our local and transnational law enforcement partners, like the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and utilize every available resource to target child predators who travel internationally with the sole intent to exploit and victimize the innocence of children.”

"This case is another excellent example of interagency cooperation that targets criminals who prey upon the most precious things in our lives, our children,” stated Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. “If your intent is to harm a child, our intent is to track you down and bring you to justice!"

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.