ORLANDO, FLORIDA — The United States Attorney’s Office in Orlando announced that Patrick R. Minga, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of another individual from Brevard County to Ecuador so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors.
The United States Attorney’s Office in Orlando announced that Patrick R. Minga, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of another individual fromBrevard County to Ecuador so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors. (BCSO image)
Minga was arrested in March after a Federal judge issued a criminal complaint charging him with attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of an individual from Brevard County, Florida, to Quito, Ecuador, so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls.
The investigation found that Minga advertised, on Craigslist, a sex tourism business in Ecuador. Minga indicated that, for a fee, he could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals and unlimited access to females from Ecuador and Colombia.
Minga faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 20, 2014.
During the change of plea hearing, Minga admitted that he advertised, on Craigslist, a sex tourism business in Ecuador that could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals, and unlimited access to females for a fee.
An undercover task force agent observed the ad and contacted Minga. Over the course of several months, Minga tried to induce and arrange the travel of the undercover agent from Florida to Quito, where Minga advised that he could provide sexual encounters with minors as young as 13 and 14 years of age.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey
“I am so proud of the tireless efforts by this Partnership and our investigative team that dismantled this vile operation,” said Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
“One that was designed specifically to cater to Internet predators for the sole purpose of harming children. I am sickened by the activities of this individual and the child sex trade organizations that exist. Let there be no mistake, anyone who would do this to a child needs to be locked up for the rest of their life, where they can never harm anyone else.”
Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit USDOJsdoj.gov/psc
ORIGINAL STORY: MARCH 8, 2014
BCSO, Feds Arrest Man For Attempted Sex Trafficking
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – A joint investigation between the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, culminated March 7 with the arrest of 50-year-old, Patrick R. Minga, a former resident of Cape Coral, Florida.
A joint investigation between the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, culminated today with the arrest of 50-year-old, Patrick R. Minga, a former resident of Cape Coral, Florida. (BCSO image)
Minga was arrested today after a Federal judge issued a criminal complaint charging him with attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of an individual from Brevard County, Florida, to Quito, Ecuador, so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls.
If convicted, Minga faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
ADVERTISED SEX TOURISM BUSINESS ON CRAIGSLIST
The investigation found that Minga advertised, on Craigslist, a sex tourism business in Ecuador. Minga indicated that, for a fee, he could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals and unlimited access to females from Ecuador and Colombia.
An undercover agent from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office who is a member of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations task force observed the ad and contacted Minga. Over the course of several months, Minga tried to induce and arrange the travel of the undercover agent from Florida to Quito, where Minga advised that he could provide sexual encounters with children as young as 13 years of age.
An undercover agent from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office who is a member of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations task force observed the ad and contacted Minga.
Over the course of several months, Minga tried to induce and arrange the travel of the undercover agent from Florida to Quito, where Minga advised that he could provide sexual encounters with children as young as 13 years of age.
On March 2, 2014, Minga traveled from Ecuador to the United States, where he was met by agents from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and ICE/HSI who subsequently arrested him in Huntsville, Alabama.
He is currently detained, pending removal proceedings before a United States Magistrate Judge in Birmingham, Alabama. Thereafter, he will be transported to the Middle District of Florida for further proceedings.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Offender/Predator Registration and Tracking Unit, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation Task Force is a multi-agency Partnership initiated to investigate dangerous offenders and predators who prey upon children.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey
Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated, “I am so proud of the tireless efforts by this Partnership and our investigative team that dismantled this vile operation. One that was designed specifically to cater to Internet predators for the sole purpose of harming children. I am sickened by the activities of this individual and the child sex trade organizations that exist. Let there be no mistake, anyone who would do this to a child needs to be locked up for the rest of their life, where they can never harm anyone else.
An undercover agent from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office who is a member of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations task force observed the ad and contacted Minga.
