Boston Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Transportation of a Minor for Sex

            CONCORD - Dagoberto Duarte Espinal, 23, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for transportation of a minor for the purpose of sexual activity, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 10, 2018, the Londonderry Police Department was informed that a 13-year-old female was missing.  Officers responded to her residence to investigate.  During the investigation, the Londonderry officers were told that the minor female had been communicating with a man online and that they had made plans to meet.

            The mother of the minor female received a call from Duarte Espinal telling her that he had taken her daughter to Boston.  A law enforcement officer spoke with Duarte Espinal who said the minor female had been dropped off at a bus station.  Boston police officers were notified and officers were able to locate the minor female.

            On July 3, 2018, Duarte Espinal was arrested by police officers in Boston.  Duarte Espinal later admitted that he had picked up the minor female in New Hampshire and driven her to Massachusetts, where they engaged in sexual activity.

            Duarte Espinal pleaded guilty on March 12, 2020.  After serving his sentence, he faces possible deportation to Honduras.

            “Those who use the internet to prey upon children pose a serious threat to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “This defendant’s reprehensible conduct merits the substantial sentence imposed by the court.  We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and incarcerate those who victimize children in the Granite State.” 

 ​            “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is strongly committed to pursuing child predators who use the internet to prey on their victims, especially in light of the increased levels of online activity by all age groups in recent months,” said Michael Shea, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Boston. “It’s only through the critical teamwork of our law enforcement partners in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire that HSI was able to help bring about the conviction of this dangerous child predator who is now no longer free to roam the streets of our communities.”

            This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Londonderry Police Department, and the Boston Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana Konesky.

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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