New Haven Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI today announced that MARCOS ALEX MENDEZ TORRES, 26, of New Haven, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses including traveling to engage in sexual activity with minors he met and coerced online.

As alleged in court documents, Mendez Torres used the social media usernames "nozuto" and "demoniodedinero" to communicate with girls online. In 2022, Mendez Torres began communicating with an approximately 11-year-old girl in Pennsylvania over the online game platform Roblox. Between 2022 and 2024, he used social media applications, including Discord and Snapchat, to communicate with the girl. Between 2023 and 2024, Mendez Torres also communicated via social media with another girl in Ohio beginning when she was approximately 12 years old. In March 2024, Mendez Torres traveled to Pennsylvania to meet with and to engage in sexual activity with the then-13-year-old girl residing there. He then traveled back to Connecticut before returning briefly to Pennsylvania and continuing on to Ohio with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the then-12-year-old girl residing there.

The criminal complaint charges Mendez Torres with coercion and enticement of a minor, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life; travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children, an offense that carries a maximum of term of imprisonment of 30 years; and transfer of obscene materials to a minor, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Mendez Torres has been detained since June 26, 2024, when he was arrested by the Connecticut State Police on child exploitation and kidnapping charges relating to a 15-year-old girl in Connecticut. He was transferred to federal custody and appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan noted that investigators are seeking to identify additional victims and encouraged victims, witnesses, and anyone with helpful information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or to contact the FBI online at tips.fbi.gov.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis L. Beyerlein.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit https://www.cybertipline.comLinks 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..