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Carlos Casillas, 51, was convicted of sex trafficking a 13-year-old girl in July, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He will serve five years of probation after he is released from prison.
Investigators said Casillas met the 13-year-old girl, who was living in a foster home, on Facebook and communicated through Facebook Messenger. He talked about her leaving the group home and "exchanging money for services," the prosecutor said.
He told her he would take her to Boston, but after he picked her up from her group home, he drove her to a motel instead.
"Casillas knowingly used his age difference and superior resources to entice the victim," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
Police arrested Casillas in February 2022 and charged him with aggravated rape of a child and enticing a child, federal officials said. He was charged with sex trafficking a minor later that year.
“Let the message go out loud and clear — if you prey on vulnerable girls and traffic minors, you will spend a long, long time behind bars. Casillas used this victim’s vulnerability and challenging circumstances to take advantage of her,” Levy said in a news release. “Preying on vulnerable young children will never be tolerated.”
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