BULLHEAD CITY – A New Mexico man who traveled to northwest Arizona to further a romance he nurtured online with a Fort Mohave teenager was sentenced to jail after pleading guilty in Kingman on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Deputy Mohave County Attorney Amanda Claerhout advised the court that Jesus Moreno, 30, used the Snapchat platform to engage the victim who was 14- and 15-years-old during their initial communication and subsequent illegal sexual activity.
Claerhout told Judge Doug Camacho that Moreno prayed upon his target by misrepresenting himself as an 18-year-old interested in marriage, starting a family and building a life together.
The victim’s mother questioned Moreno’s expression of remorse. She said that the defendant, once the criminal behavior was disclosed, encouraged the teen to take pills so they might end their lives together in a suicide pact.
Defense attorney Bob Heieck argued for leniency, asserting Moreno endured a “tough childhood” and suffered PTSD from a mix of physical and mental abuse early in life.
Moreno pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual conduct with a minor for incidents that occurred in the Fort Mohave area about two weeks apart earlier this year. It was a no-prison guaranteed plea deal.
Judge Camacho placed Moreno on supervised probation for three years and also ordered a 365-day jail sentence.
Dave Hawkins
