A Philadelphia man who met a 12-year-old child through video games will spend the next 30 years behind bars for traveling to Orlando and having sex with the child.
Samuel Ernesto Mendez, 29, was sentenced last week to spend the next 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court records, Mendez met the victim online in February 2022. Mendez chatted with the victim for four months online before arranging to travel to Orlando to engage in sexual activity with the child.
In June 2022, Mendez traveled to Orlando, picked up the child in the middle of the night, took the child to a local hotel, drank alcoholic beverages with the child, and had sexual intercourse with the child.
After the encounter, Mendez returned to his home in Philadelphia and continued the inappropriate relationship with the victim, sharing written and video chats for additional months.
In December 2022, Mendez was arrested by authorities. During his arrest, he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with the victim and traveling to Florida to see the victim.
In addition to his sentence, Mendez was ordered to forfeit two cellphones and a gaming console that he used to commit the offense.