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\u2019s Office in Tampa announced Thursday.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Rios Gallardo will also serve a lifetime of supervised release after his sentence is completed, court records show.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
On three occasions in August and September of 2024, Rios Gallardo coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and stored the images. <\/p>\n
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Port Police Department. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis sentence sends a clear message that those who target children online will be found and held accountable, no matter where they live,\u201d said North Port Police Public Information Officer Brittany Kammerer. <\/p>\n
\u201cCases involving the exploitation of children are among the most disturbing crimes we investigate,\u201d said North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison. \u201cWhile no sentence can undo the trauma experienced by a victim, today\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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