TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) – A California man has seen sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for coercing a 12-year-old in North Port to engage in online sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa announced Thursday.
Rigoberto Rios Gallardo, 33, of Los Angeles had pleaded guilty in March to three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Rios Gallardo will also serve a lifetime of supervised release after his sentence is completed, court records show.
According to court documents, Rios Gallardo initially met the victim on TikTok and began communicating with them on other internet-based applications including Telegram, Discord and Signal.
On three occasions in August and September of 2024, Rios Gallardo coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and stored the images.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Port Police Department.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who target children online will be found and held accountable, no matter where they live,” said North Port Police Public Information Officer Brittany Kammerer.
“Cases involving the exploitation of children are among the most disturbing crimes we investigate,” said North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison. “While no sentence can undo the trauma experienced by a victim, today’s outcome ensures a dangerous offender will spend decades behind bars and sends a strong message that North Port will never stop fighting to protect our children.”
The North Port Police Department encourages parents to maintain open conversations with their children about online safety, monitor online activity, and report suspicious behavior to law enforcement immediately.
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