UPDATED: California man enters guilty plea in federal case that originated in Hillsboro
A California man indicted federally in 2022 after being apprehended in Texas with a juvenile from Hillsboro has pleaded guilty to a charge of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to court records.
As previously reported, on Aug. 10, 2022 in the Southern District of Ohio, a federal grand jury handed down two charges against Alex Roman Nguyen, then 28, accusing him of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The indictment alleged that Nguyen “did knowingly transport an individual who had not attained the age of 18 … in interstate commerce by transporting [the juvenile] from Ohio to Kentucky, with intent that the individual engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, namely, rape in the third degree.”
According to court records, Nguyen appeared before Judge Susan J. Dlott Monday, March 4, where he pleaded guilty to the second count in the indictment.
No sentencing date has been scheduled, pending a presentence report, according to court records.
As previously reported by the Hillsboro Police Department, Nguyen was arrested in July 2022 following an investigation involving the HPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Diego, Calif. Police Department.
The Hillsboro Police Department said that the juvenile’s family “reported that [the juvenile] was last seen at their residence during the morning hours of July 16.
“During the course of an investigation and speaking with friends, it was determined that the missing juvenile had been talking with a man named ‘Roman’ from California. Roman had allegedly traveled from the state of California during the week of July 7 and attended the Festival of the Bells with the juvenile. During his time in Hillsboro, ‘Roman’ allegedly slept in a rental vehicle close to the juvenile’s residence.
“Through online and cellular tracking, Nguyen was believed to have allegedly taken the juvenile outside the state of Ohio. Once interstate travel was believed, the Hillsboro Police Department contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Office. With the assistance of the FBI, both Nguyen and the juvenile were apprehended in El Paso, Texas by local authorities.”
The Southern District of Ohio released the following information on Tuesday, after The Highland County Press article was posted:
'A California man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to transporting a minor interstate to commit third degree rape of the Ohio teenager.
"Alex Roman Nguyen, 29, of San Diego, pleaded guilty to transportation with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The plea agreement includes a sentencing recommendation of up to 151 months in prison.
"According to court documents, Nguyen met a 15-year-old girl from Hillsboro, Ohio, online and traveled from San Diego to Ohio to meet her in July 2022. Nguyen drove the minor to Kentucky to attempt to purchase airplane tickets and engaged in sex acts with the minor while in Kentucky.
"Unable to obtain flight tickets, Nguyen and the minor boarded a Greyhound bus bound for San Diego and traveled on it until they were apprehended by law enforcement in El Paso, Texas.
"Nguyen was charged by criminal complaint in the Southern District of Ohio the next day.
"Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
"Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Hillsboro Police Chief Eric Daniels announced the guilty plea entered on March 4 before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case."
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