Norfolk Navy sailor sentenced to 10 years in prison for coercing a minor to engage in sex

NORFOLK, Va. - A Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sex, and the coercion of seven other minor victims.

According to court documents, Dominic Nathanial Torres, 23, a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in Norfolk, used multiple social media platforms to communicate with minors in a sexually explicit manner. Torres strategically targeted middle and high school age girls through social media, and then bypassed the security protocols of age restricted social media communities by presenting himself as a minor and using younger photos. Torres requested and received sexually explicit images and videos from minor victims and sent the minors sexually graphic photos and videos of himself.

During the Summer of 2024, Torres contacted a minor female via a social media platform. Torres knew the victim was 16 years old and portrayed himself as a minor. After communicating with the minor through multiple mediums including text messages, Torres convinced the minor to meet in person. He travelled to the minor's neighborhood, picked her up near her home, and engaged in sex with her on two separate occasions. Torres attempted to video his sexual encounter with the minor.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigated this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District CourtLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-10.