Agent Befriended Victim While On Duty At Miami International Airport
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
MIAMI-DADE, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A U.S. Customs Agent will spend ten years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual behavior. The United States Department of Justice Friday issued this advisory:
Defendant Fabio Lopez, 62, of Weston, Florida was sentenced last week by a federal district judge in Fort Lauderdale to 10 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, Fabio Lopez, a former officer with Customs and Border Protection, enticed a 16-year-old child into attempting to produce child pornography. Lopez met the child after befriending her mother while on duty in his official capacity at Miami International Airport. From July 2019 through March 2020, Lopez had a relationship with the child and texted her frequently. According the factual proffer filed, Lopez fondled the child and offered her money in exchange for letting him take pornographic images of her. Lopez was arrested in Davie when he arrived to meet with the child. Prior to his arrival, Lopez had rented a local hotel room for the two and left a bag with lingerie for the child to wear.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.
HSI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility and Pembroke Pines Police Department. The case was investigated as part of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi L. Anton prosecuted the case.
