Box Elder man sentenced to life in federal prison
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Vincent Alberto Barrios, 43, was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor using the internet, attempted enticement of a minor using the internet, receipt of child pornography, and attempted receipt of child pornography and sentenced to life in federal prison on April 26.
Barrios was arrested and federally indicted following the undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators.
Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Barrios thought to be a 13-year-old girl, who was an undercover agent, Barrios proceeded to negotiate a time and place where he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Barrios went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest. During this time Barrios was also chatting with two other undercover agents Barrios believed to be 14-year-old girls. After a review of Barrios’ phone, law enforcement found a text message conversation with a local 14-year-old girl and child pornography.
A federal grand jury indicted Barrios in August of 2023. He was found guilty of all charges following a three-day jury trial in December 2023.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit the website.
Barrios was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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