A 50-year-old Kissimmee man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for taking photos of a minor through the crack in a door while she was exiting the shower.
Rafael Antonio Bracero-Navas was sentenced this week by U.S. Middle District of Florida Judge Carlos E. Mendoza for sexual exploitation of a child. A jury found Bracero-Navas guilty on seven counts of sexual exploitation in March of this year.
According to court records, Bracero-Navas used a cellphone to take explicit photos of the minor’s genitals while he was hiding outside of a bathroom. Bracero-Navas took the pictures covertly, through the crack under the door, as the minor was stepping out of the shower.
Although he tried to delete the full-size images from his phone later on, thumbnail images remained and were later discovered by detectives.
In addition to the photos, Bracero-Navas engaged in sexually abusive behavior towards the minor on multiple instances, including forcibly kissing the girl against her will and touching her genitals without her consent.
“As heartbreaking as it is to work these kinds of investigations, it’s rewarding to see the lengthy prison sentences handed down to these sexual predators,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker.