AUSTIN – A Round Rock man was arrested today in Round Rock on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.
According to court documents, Michael Roberts, 40, traveled from the United States to the Republic of Colombia to engage in illegal sexual conduct with minors.
Roberts is charged by a federal indictment with three counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. If convicted, Roberts faces up to 30 years in prison on each of the three counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, San Antonio Division, made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case. HSI would like to acknowledge and thank the Government of Colombia and the Colombian National Police for their cooperation with HSI’s investigation. If you have any information on this case, you can contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Tip Line at 866-347-2423.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith M. Henneke is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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