A federal judge on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old Long Beach man to 10 years and one month in prison for attempting to coerce someone he thought was a child into sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Sacramento.
Federal prosecutors said the defendant, Aldo Alcaraz, was caught in a sting operation in 2021. In January of that year, Alcaraz used an iPhone to start messaging an undercover agent he believed was a 14-year-old, according to court documents.
They talked for several days before Alcaraz arranged for them to meet in Bakersfield on Jan. 23, 2021, where he was arrested, according to federal prosecutors.
When investigators searched Alcaraz’s iPhone, they found hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including at least 10 that showed Alcaraz himself having sex with minors, according to charging document in the case.
As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Alcaraz pleaded guilty, on Sept. 11, 2023, to attempting to coerce a minor into sex, and four other counts against him were dropped.
In a sentencing memo, prosecutors called Alcaraz’s crimes “obviously disturbing” and worthy of the 10-year prison sentence. The sentence imposed by the judge also includes lifetime supervision after his release and limitations on his access to computers, minors and the internet.