CAMDEN, N.J. – A Queens rideshare driver has been sentenced to nearly twenty years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual acts.
Richard Gabriel Piedra Ordonez, 37, of Queens, New York, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to a three-count information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity; and one count of receiving child pornography. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
Ordonez was sentenced today to 235 months in prison for enticing and transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity, and for receiving images of child sexual abuse from another minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In April 2019, Piedra began communicating with a New Jersey resident who was under the age of 16 using Snapchat and other social media and messaging platforms. Piedra was aware of the minor’s age and misrepresented his own age as 19 when he was actually 35 years old. Over the course of the subsequent months, Piedra and the victim met in person and engaged sexual activity. On multiple occasions, Piedra traveled to New Jersey to have sex with the victim and drove the victim to his home in New York City, where they engaged in sexual activity.
Federal law enforcement agents executing a search warrant on Piedra’s residence in December 2019 found sexually explicit images and videos of minors on a hard drive located in Piedra’s bedroom. Further investigation revealed that, in 2017, Piedra had communicated with an Indiana resident who was under the age of 15 using various social media and messaging platforms. Piedra was aware of the minor’s age and misrepresented his own age as 19 years old. Piedra requested and received sexually explicit images and videos from the Indiana victim.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Piedra to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender.