Recidivist child sexual predator sentenced who previously impregnated minor, expressed interest in making 13-year-old his wife in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI – A thrice convicted sex offender described in court documents as being a “recidivist, hands-on child sexual predator” who most recently sought out, solicited, and groomed what he believed to be a thirteen-year-old Rhode Island girl was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to more than thirty-seven years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Court documents detail that prior to his arrest in this matter, Jesus Maldonado, 61, a former resident of Waterbury, CT, was convicted and incarcerated on three separate occasions for sexually assaulting minors, one of whom he impregnated, and another of whom he transported over state lines to sexually assault.  Maldonado was also separately convicted and sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender.

In the current matter, Maldonado pleaded guilty on June 27, 2023, to charges of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor; and to having committed these felony offenses involving a minor while he was required to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 447 months of incarceration to be followed by lifetime federal supervised release.

“This defendant’s long and sordid history reflects a repeated determination to prey on and sexually assault minor victims, inflicting lasting damage on their lives,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha.  “That ends today.  With this sentence, we have ensured that the public and future victims are safe from Mr. Maldonado’s predations for decades to come.”

“Maldonado sent explicit messages to and attempted to prey on what he believed to be a child. But instead of a child, he was speaking to a detective with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, leading to his arrest and his significant sentence today,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations, New England. “It is a sad truth that every day real children are groomed and exploited online. HSI is working ceaselessly with our partners to keep children safe online and ensure predators like Maldonado are brought to justice.”

According to court documents and information provided to the court, beginning in March 2019, Maldonado engaged in a series of sexually explicit online and text communications with a person known to him as “Jeni,” who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.  Despite being told early in their conversations that he was conversing with a 13 year old, Maldonado  expressed interest in making “Jeni” his wife; repeatedly engaged in graphic sexual chat, and sent sexually explicit images, all while attempting to persuade “Jeni” to meet with him to engage in sexual activity, a. Unbeknownst to Maldonado, the person with whom he was communicating was, in fact, a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey A. Erickson and Denise M. Barton.

The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force, Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and Homeland Security Investigations.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and Homeland Security Investigations in New Haven, CT., for their assistance.

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 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.