PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A sex offender who has been described in court documents as being a “recidivist, hands-on child sexual predator” was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Providence to more than 37 years in federal prison, according to officials.
Jesus Maldonado, 61, a former resident of Waterbury was convicted on three separate occasions for sexually assaulting minors, one of whom he got pregnant, and another of whom he took 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.
Prosecutors said he had sought out, solicited, and groomed what he believed to be a 13-year-old Rhode Island girl.
He was sentenced to 37.25 years in prison 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,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. 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 thought he was sending explicit messages to someone he believed to be a child. Instead, he was communicating with a detective with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to officials.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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