Man sex trafficked 13-year-old he met on Facebook as she lived at group home, feds say
A man is facing at least 15 years in prison over sex trafficking a 13-year-old he met on Facebook, federal prosecutors said.
Carlos Casillas, 51, of Springfield, Massachusetts, began messaging the girl on the social media platform as she was living in a group home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Casillas picked her up from the group home — while she was in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families — and took her to a motel, prosecutors said.
By September 2021, federal authorities were investigating him for sex trafficking, according to officials.
In the case’s latest development, a jury found Casillas guilty of sex trafficking a child under 14 years old, the attorney’s office announced in a July 17 news release.
The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, prosecutors said.
McClatchy News contacted a federal public defender representing Casillas for comment on July 19 and didn’t receive an immediate response.
“Carlos Casillas preyed on a vulnerable 13-year-old girl in state custody,” U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. “His conduct was beyond horrific and now he will face the lengthy sentence of incarceration the law requires for sex trafficking of a minor.”
McClatchy News contacted the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families for comment on July 19 and was awaiting a response.
Since Casillas was convicted, he must forfeit all property he used in connection with the crime of sex trafficking a child, according to a superseding indictment.
This includes five cell phones, two tablets, two cameras, sim cards and more, the superseding indictment shows.
Casillas’ sentencing hearing hadn’t been scheduledas of July 17, prosecutors said.
What to know about sex trafficking
The attorney’s office is urging the public to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov if they know of a child being sex trafficked, according to the release. The office also advises visiting the Polaris Project’s website for information and resources regarding commercial sex trafficking.
In 2021, more than 17,200 reports of child sex trafficking in the U.S., including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, were received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization established by Congress.
Out of 25,000 children reported missing to the organization that year, “1 in 6 were likely sex trafficking victims,” according to the NCMEC.
What’s more: 19% of children who were reported missing in 2020 after running away from social care services “were likely victims of sex trafficking,” the NCMEC says.
This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Man sex trafficked 13-year-old he met on Facebook as she lived at group home, feds say."
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