A Mexican national living in Georgia has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson handed down the sentence to Victorino De La Cruz, 43, of Mableton, Georgia.
De La Cruz was convicted after using social media under the name “Code_Magnolia” to contact someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Over several months, De La Cruz engaged in sexually explicit communications and attempted to arrange an illegal sexual encounter. The individual he contacted was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
Authorities reported that De La Cruz sent images of himself and his genitals and requested sexually explicit videos and images from the undercover officer. He also asked for her location and made plans to visit Baton Rouge for illegal sexual activity. Law enforcement arrested him in December 2024.
After serving his prison term, De La Cruz will be subject to five years of supervised release, must complete sex offender treatment, and register as a sex offender upon release. Because his work visa has been revoked, he may face deportation after completing his sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Anderson and Edward H. Warner—who is also Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney—and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative started in May 2006 that focuses on combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts at all levels of government (http://www.justice.gov/psc). It is also linked with Operation Take Back America, which seeks to address issues related to illegal immigration, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime through joint departmental initiatives such as the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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