GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Eduardo G. Torres, 26, of Waukegan, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to 210 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for sexually exploiting a child.
“As the sexual exploitation of children online continues to rise, my office is committed to protecting children and bringing sex offenders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The devices that nearly every child and teenager now carry leave kids vulnerable to criminals down the street, across state lines, and around the world. I strongly urge parents, guardians, and loved ones to educate their kids about online dangers, stay aware of their social media activities, and create a trusting relationship where kids are willing to share if something goes wrong.”
In April 2023, Torres sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl and filmed it after initially meeting her online, communicating with her through Snapchat, and then traveling to meet her in person. To do so, he drove from Illinois to Berrien Springs, Michigan. After assaulting the girl, he also transported her back across state lines to his residence in Illinois. Torres previously pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child on December 18, 2023, for the child pornography he created when he filmed the sexual assault. Federal law prohibits the production, distribution, receipt, or possession of any image containing child pornography.
“Mr. Torres engaged in an egregiously inappropriate relationship with a minor, exploiting and sexually assaulting the young victim. Investigating those who prey on our children is a top priority for the FBI,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I commend the FBI's Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force for their dedicated efforts in this case and their relentless pursuit of justice for our communities' children.”
“The Berrien Springs Oronoko Township Police Department appreciates the work done on this case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan along with the assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Police Chief Paul Toliver. “Working together with these agencies was instrumental in quickly bringing a child predator to justice and returning a child home to her family.”
Parents and caregivers are urged to take steps to protect their children and teenagers from online predators. The FBI most often sees crimes against children begin when an adult either forges a relationship with a young victim online and later arranges to meet and abuse the child; or coerces a child into producing sexually explicit images or videos through manipulation, gifts, or threats.
The FBI offers the following advice for parents to protect their children from online predators:
- Have open and ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior.
- Educate yourself about the websites, software, games, and apps that your children use.
- Check their social media and gaming profiles and posts. Have conversations about what is appropriate to say or share.
- Explain to your kids that once images or comments are posted online, they can be shared with anyone and never truly disappear.
- Make sure your kids use privacy settings to restrict access to their online profiles.
- Tell your children to be extremely wary when communicating with anyone online who they do not know in real life.
- Encourage kids to choose appropriate screen names and to create strong passwords.
- Make it a rule with your kids that they can't arrange to meet up with someone they met online without your knowledge and supervision.
When children become victims, law enforcement stands ready to help. Report any inappropriate contact between an adult and your child to law enforcement immediately. Notify the site they were using, too. In addition to contacting local law enforcement, parents, victims, and others can report these crimes to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting www.tips.fbi.gov. Further information about online safety is available at the FBI website, Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers: Protecting Your Kids.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Berrien Springs Oronoko Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Department
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