TUCSON, Ariz. — A Casa Grande man was sentenced Oct. 22 to 120 months in prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release for enticing a minor for sexual acts. This case was investigated by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“This sentence reflects the strong commitment of HSI to combat child exploitation and abuse, which remained a top priority for HSI and all law enforcement agencies,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “This case successfully removed this predator out of our community preventing him from further abusing any other children with these harmful crimes that can have a lifelong impact.”
Adam Tovar, 32, of Casa Grande, further pleaded guilty to Enticement of a Minor June 17.
From Dec. 19, 2022, through Dec. 29, 2022, Tovar communicated via Snapchat with a person who he knew was a minor. During that time, he persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the victim to engage in sexual activities with him. On Dec. 29, 2022, during a traffic stop by the Marana Police Department, Tovar was found transporting the minor victim in the front passenger seat of his vehicle. In entering his plea of guilty, Tovar admitted that he had intended to transport the victim from the victim’s home to a hotel, where he intended to engage in sexual acts with the victim.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Sarah J. Precup, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. Last year, HSI special agents dedicated 1.2 million case hours toward investigating child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever. HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat.
Report suspected child exploitation to the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.