ALICE, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video is from the arrest of Mauricio Ruiz in 2020.
An Alice man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for raping a minor and recording it, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery announced.
Mauricio Ruiz, 41, pleaded guilty to the crime on Jan. 7. He was sentenced Thursday in federal court. U.S. District Judge Nelva G. Ramos noted the case’s “horrific facts” when handing down the sentence. At the hearing, the court heard emotionally-moving victim impact statements detailing how Ruiz continuously tormented the minor.
Ruiz was arrested on Oct. 30, 2020 after law enforcement learned he was sexually assaulting a young girl. At the time of his plea, he admitted to recording illicit videos and images over the course of several years with the victim, officials said.
He raped the minor on multiple occasions and recorded the events, officials said. He also threatened to kill members of her family if she ever told anyone.
The investigation revealed Ruiz possessed more than 34 images and 20 videos of sexual abuse on his work computer.
Ruiz will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. He will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Ruiz will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date, officials said.
Ruiz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Dennis E. Robinson prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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