LAWFUEL – US Attorney News – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced that defendant Rafael Ramirez, Jr., a Palm Beach County teacher, pled guilty before United States District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley in West Palm Beach, Florida, to two counts of using a facility of interstate commerce, that is, America OnLine and MySpace computer services, to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice minors to engage in a sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2422(b).
At sentencing, Ramirez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of incarceration of up to sixty (60) years on each of the solicitation counts.
This case stemmed from a citizen report to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office that Ramirez, a Palm Beach County music teacher, was using his computer to solicit a 15 year old former Palm Beach County student to engage in illegal sexual activity. An undercover law enforcement officer assumed the 15 year old student’s screen name and went back online, where Ramirez contacted her. After several sexually explicit internet communications, Ramirez was arrested. After Ramirez was arrested, another Palm Beach County student, a second 17 year old, reported that Ramirez had solicited her on-line to engage in illegal sexual activity .
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Palm Beach County School District Police Department, and the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lothrop Morris.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
