Monroe Man Accused Of Sexually Exploiting 3 Pre-Teen Girls: Feds

MONROE, CT — A 32-year-old Monroe man was arrested by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Tuesday and charged "with child exploitation offenses related to his alleged sexual abuse of three minor girls," announced Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle.

Hector Torres was charged with coercion and enticement of minors to engage in sexual activity, and production of child pornography, according to David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI.

Following his arrest, Torres appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti and remains in custody.

According to the accusations in the criminal complaint, Torres "used Snapchat, FaceTime and text messaging to communicate with three minor girls, ages 11 and 12, to persuade, induce, entice or coerce them to send him naked pictures of themselves and to engage in sexual activity with him."

On multiple occasions in February, Torres picked up the girls in his car and brought them to a shopping plaza parking lot in Hartford where they each engaged in sexual activity with Torres at his direction, prosecutors said.

"Torres promised to give the girls money, sneakers, vaping supplies and/or food if they sent him photos of their bodies and/or engaged in sex acts with him," according to prosectors. "In March 2021, investigators reviewed at least three videos of Torres’s sexual abuse of the girls, one of which shows the right side of his face as well as distinctive tattoos on his hands."

If convicted, Torres a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life in prison in connection with the coercion charge. On the child pornography charge, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and a maximum term of 30 years.

Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Additionally, Boyle noted that investigators are seeking to identify additional victims and encouraged victims, witnesses and anyone with helpful information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hartford Police Department, the Monroe Police Department and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.