A Venezuelan national living in the United States without authorization has pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce and entice a minor after he arranged to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy in Denham Springs.
Kleider Enrique Garcia Ochoa, 30, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
Prosecutors say Ochoa used social media under the name "Conociendo" to solicit what he thought was a Denham Springs teenager, requesting explicit images and agreeing to travel to the area to engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer was posing as the minor. Ochoa was arrested upon arrival at the arranged location.
Ochoa faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, lifetime supervised release, and mandatory sex offender registration. He is also subject to deportation upon completing his sentence.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. Warner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Ross.
