A 21-year-old Puerto Rican man has been arrested in the state of Minnesota on charges of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal se—l activity. Court documents have alleged that Roberto Gadiel León-López was transporting a 13-year-old girl from her house to another location. The incident occurred in 2024, and at the time, León-López was 19.
Following the incident, an investigation was launched by the authorities, with León-López finally being charged with a one-count charge of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal se—l activity. The offense was committed under Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a). Title 18 is a U.S. federal criminal law that covers transportation of minors and illegal se—l activity. The law states: “Anyone who knowingly transports a person under 18 across state lines, internationally, or within U.S. territories with the intent that the minor engage in prostitution or illegal se—l activity can face severe federal penalties.”
The current penalty includes a minimum of 10 years in prison or life imprisonment. According to the United States Attorney’s Office, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, spoke on the matter. “Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” Muldrow said. “We will prosecute criminals who exploit our children to the fullest extent of the law.”
🚨SENTENCING 🚨As a result of an #FBI San Juan investigation and thanks to the phenomenal work of our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico (USAO-PR), a man sentenced to 360 Months in prison for child exploitation. This is #YourFBI crushing… pic.twitter.com/LUc36vG4Wf
— FBI San Juan (@FBISanJuan) May 13, 2026
León-López is yet to be convicted, but if convicted, he will face a minimum of 10 years in prison or spend his life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine what the right sentence will be for León-López. Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, who was part of the operation in apprehending León-López, spoke about León-López and how the FBI focuses on crimes against children.
“Protecting children from exploitation and abuse remains one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” Goris said. “This arrest reflects the relentless work of our agents and law enforcement partners to identify offenders, locate them wherever they may be hiding, and ensure they are brought to justice. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue the protection of vulnerable children and prosecution of those who would seek to harm them.”
Roberto Gadiel León-López, de 19 años en aquel entonces, transportó a una menor de 13 años desde su casa a otro lugar con la intención de cometer actos sexuales delictivos.https://t.co/AbSoEh7tdT
— NotiCel (@noticel) May 14, 2026
As of writing, the FBI is still investigating the matter. According to Noticel, the case was part of the Safe Childhood Project. This project is a national effort launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. It aims to combat child se—l exploitation and abuse. Deputy U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea is handling León-López’s charge. The project in its entirety, however, is led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
