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Bridgeport resident Jose Manuel Santos, 37, pleaded guilty in New Haven district court to enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity for his relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
At the time of his arrest, Santos was a bus and van driver in Connecticut who transported children going to and from a middle school in Wallingford.
U.S. Attorney John Durham said that in October 2018, police received information that Santos was sexually soliciting the teenage girl, who was a passenger on his route.
A review of the teen's cellphone found more than 200 text messages and calls between Santos and his victim.
Among the messages was a sexually explicit photo of Santos that Santos sent to the minor victim, and multiple messages in which Santos coerced the victim to send him a sexually explicit photo of her.
Santos was arrested on Nov. 2, 2018, following the investigation and has been detained since.
Following his arrest, Santos conspired with others in an attempt to get his teenage victim to testify against him.
When he is sentenced on Thursday, May 21, Santos will face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of life in prison.
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