Enticing A Minor Lands Mission Man In Prison

McALLEN, Texas - Teofanes Salas-Campos, 40, of Mission, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison prison for enticing a minor, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Salas-Campos previously pleaded guilty Sept. 17, 2012, admitting he intended to have sex with a minor for money.

In a hearing that concluded late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, handed Salas-Campos a 135-month sentence. At the hearing, additional evidence was presented including  the fact the defendant had taken a photograph of the victim on her cell phone which constituted sexually explicit conduct. The sentence was enhanced because the minor victim was only 14 years of age at the time and because there was a commission of a sex act. Salas-Campos will further serve a five-year-term of supervised release following completion of the prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

In April 2012, a Pharr Police Department investigator contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents concerning the solicitation of a minor for sexual purposes. Agents recovered a cellular telephone that was being utilized by a 14-year-old minor to receive messages from adult males requesting sexual encounters in exchange for money. Posing as the minor, agents began conversing with the unknown males via text messages over the cellphone.

During this investigation, two others were arrested and subsequently charged in separate cases with enticing a minor. Felipe de Jesus Ponce-Torres, 24, of Mexico, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Micaela Alveraz who sentenced him in November 2012 to 120 months in prison. Jose Luis Garcia-Saldivar, 28, also of Mexico, entered his plea guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa and will be sentenced May 9, 2013. 

During their respective guilty pleas, all three men admitted they intended to have sex with an individual whom them believed was a minor and that they were going to pay the minor between $80 and $100.

All three men have been and will remain in custody.

The investigation leading to the charges against these defendants was conducted by HSI and Pharr Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Juan Villescas prosecuted the case.