Image Credit: John Bonzo | Wikimedia Commons 
A Mexican national who illegally entered the U.S. at least four times is facing significant charges for sexually exploiting minors and distributing videos of the abuse, authorities say.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) just announced an indictment against Gerardo Aurelio Iturbide, 24, for crimes he allegedly committed last year in Hurricane, Utah.
On Nov. 23, Iturbide met three underage girls at a gas station and brought them to a nearby hotel where he plied them with alcohol, according to court documents.
Iturbide is accused of sexually abusing two of the girls and sending footage of the acts to a friend, whom he encouraged to also come to the hotel.
Local police eventually arrived to the room after one of the victims called 911.
The DOJ has charged Iturbide with production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
Additionally, he is facing state charges for unlawful sexual contact with a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
Iturbide has been removed from the U.S. on three prior occasions but slipped back into the country at an undisclosed location and date.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” the DOJ stated.
The Second Great Crusade Has Begun
