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Turlock man sentenced to 15 years for transporting a minor to Idaho for sexual activity
( — A Turlock man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for transporting minors across state lines.
According to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office, on May 13, Cristina Ceja, 28, of Turlock, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison by the United States District Court, Eastern District of California. He was convicted of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
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SCSO stated that the case started in August 2023, when detectives with the SCSO Special Victims Unit were alerted that a minor had disappeared from the 200 block of F Street. The initial leads remained scarce, and the investigation remained open for several months.
A critical breakthrough happened when the missing minor reestablished contact with a family member through social media and explained a desire to return home, but showed that she was unable to leave in her current conditions, SCSO said.
Authorities said that the detectives were able to leverage the communication and use it to trace her location to a remote area near Kamiah, ID.
On January 3, the Idaho County Sheriff's Office located and safely recovered the victim. Ceja was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the St. Naisias County Public Safety Center the following day, officials said.
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Officials said that the investigation showed that Ceja had taken the victim from her home in Turlock in August of 2023 and transported her across state lines to Idaho, where they lived in a camper trailer lacking running water and heat.
'The successful resolution of this case was the result of a coordinated effort between the SCSO Special Victims Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the Idaho County Sheriff's Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Kenny, who prosecuted the case in the Eastern District of California.'
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