Del Rio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Coercing Minor

DEL RIO, Texas - A Del Rio man was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to court documents, Alejandro Zavala, 31, initiated contact with a 15-year-old on Snapchat. The two regularly communicated, holding conversations that were often sexual in nature. On two occasions, Zavala engaged in sexual acts with the child. The child was reported missing during one of the occasions, prompting investigators with the Val Verde County Sheriff's Office to locate and interview the child victim.

Zavala was arrested by federal authorities Oct. 29, 2021. He pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Val Verde County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case.

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 www.justice.gov/psc.

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