Maryland Man Indicted on Charges of Enticing a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity and Produce Child Pornography

Press Release

Defendant traveled outside of the United States to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

Greenbelt, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted Juan Carlos Puente, 46, of Clinton, Maryland, charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses.

Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office.

According to the seven-count indictment, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child pornography. Additionally, Puente traveled outside of the United States to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victim. On January 9, 2024, Puente also possessed sexually explicit images involving a prepubescent minor and a minor victim who was under 12 years of age.

Puente was charged with two counts of production of child pornography, one count of attempted production of child pornography, one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography.

If convicted, Puente faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and up to 90 years in federal prison for the production and attempted production of child pornography counts. Additional penalties could include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in federal prison for coercion and enticement of a child; a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and/or until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

This 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 the U.S. Attorney's 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.

If you suspect that you have information that could aid law enforcement's investigation, you are encouraged to call the FBI Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080.

U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Updated November 29, 2024