Edinburg resident sentenced after using Snapchat to lure 15-year-old girl

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Edinburg resident was sentenced to prison after requesting nude photos from a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat.

Santos Emilio Marcial-Castro was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge of coercion and enticement of a minor, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a news release.

The investigation began on April 27, 2023 when Homeland Security Investigations consensually searched a 15-year-old girl's phone and saw a Snapchat log between the teenager and Marcial-Castro, a criminal complaint stated.

The conversations lasted nearly two years, and at one point, the girl told Marcial-Castro that she was 13 years old, the document added.

Prosecutors stated that Marcial-Castro, who is a Mexican citizen, would send sexually explicit messages, and enticed the girl to send nude images.

"He also told her about his desire to have sex with minors and specifically requested nude photos of the victim’s genitals," the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.

On June 5, 2023, agents interviewed Marcial-Castro at his home in Edinburg, where he confirmed his Snapchat username. He then invoked his right to remain silent.

Following his prison sentence, Marcial-Castro was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and will be ordered to register as a sex offender. He is also expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence, given that he is not a U.S. citizen.