A 28-year-old man, James Christopher Ruiz, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for coercing and enticing a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Ruiz, who pleaded guilty in September 2024, will also be subject to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has sentenced Ruiz to 300 months in prison. The decision came after the victim’s mother testified, sharing the profound trauma her child has experienced. The court made it clear to the victim that she was not responsible for what happened and placed full blame on Ruiz. Following his release, Ruiz will be subject to stringent conditions, such as registering as a sex offender and facing restrictions on internet and child access.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, officials found Ruiz’s online communication with a 12-year-old in August 2023. The inquiry discovered that from June to July 2022, Ruiz had explicit communications with the kid via Discord, sending and seeking indecent photographs and videos.
Ruiz admitted to engaging in similar discussions with other juveniles, urging them to provide sexually explicit material. He is still in detention awaiting transfer to a US Bureau of Prisons facility.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, with support from the New Castle County Police Department. M. Alexis Garcia, Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice campaign to combat child exploitation. To learn more about internet safety, go to the DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood page.