McALLEN, Texas — A couple from this border region has pleaded guilty to federal sex trafficking charges for luring and pimping out a 14 and 15-year old female.
This week, 37-year-old Abelardo Gomez and his girlfriend, 27-year-old Cerena Camille Ortiz, pleaded guilty to one federal charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The couple had initially been charged in federal court in November on one count of conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
In May, the couple is expected to go before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane for their sentencing hearing. The two could face a possible life sentence.
Information provided to Breitbart Texas by the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that on March 25, 2016, Gomez and his girlfriend drove to Louisiana to pick up two teenage females aged 14 and 15; the names of the victims are not public record. The couple drove the girls to their home in the border city of Edinburg, Texas. There, the duo took sexually suggestive photographs of the teenage girls and used them to create ads on the online marketplace backpage.com. For approximately two weeks, the couple took the girls to local motels or had various men drive to their home to host clientele.
According to authorities, on April 7, 2016, Gomez and his girlfriend dropped off the two girls at a local convenience store. The girls called 911 and reported the crimes to Edinburg Police and the FBI.
Sex Trafficking Indictment by ildefonso ortiz on Scribd
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
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