Vado man sentenced to 18 months for sexual assault of a minor

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A Vado man who is in the country illegally was sentenced to 18 months in prison on child sexual assault charges.

Jesus Luna-Armenta, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child aged 13 to 16 and one count of selling or giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, Mark D’ Antonio, Dona Ana County district attorney, said.

Investigators said Luna-Armenta sought a relationship with a 14-year-old girl on Facebook over the course of several weeks.

Luna-Armenta eventually picked up the teen from her house on at least three occasions with the intent to have sex, investigators said.

On one occasion, he picked up the girl and took her to his house when his fiancée wasn’t home and forced her to engage in sexual activity, even after she said no, according to the investigation.

He also took her to a motel room in Anthony, Texas, and again tried to force her to perform a sexual act.

During his sentencing, Luna-Armenta told the court that he teaches confirmation classes to teens at his church and hopes to pursue a career in youth counseling one day. Prosecutors asked that he be prohibited from teaching minors under the age of 18. He was ordered that he could have contact with a minor only if a responsible adult is present.

Because Luna-Armenta is not a legal United States resident and because he committed felony crimes, he will be deported upon his release from the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

If he ever resides in the U.S., he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.