Clovis man pleads guilty of trying to meet Fresno minor for sex, prosecutors say
A Clovis man pleaded guilty Monday to trying get sexual pictures from someone he thought was a 15-year-old and made attempts to meet her, federal prosecutors said.
Paul Joseph Espinosa, 55, pleaded guilty to attempted online coercion of a child on Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Espinosa sent messages to an Instagram profile in May 2021 run by an undercover agent, who told the man they were 15, prosecutors said. He also called her using Instagram audio.
He asked her for pictures and attempted to meet her saying he wanted to cuddle to “enjoy each others company at least for a night” and “lay there naked,” the release said.
Espinosa sent three explicit photos and asked her for “naughty” pictures, the release said.
Espinosa traveled from Clovis to Fresno in June 2021 to meet up with the minor because he wanted to engage in sexual activity with her, prosecutors said. When Espinosa arrived, he was placed under arrest.
Espinosa is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22. by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 2:09 PM.
