ASHEVILLE, NC - On Thursday, Coyoami Ruiz-Miguel, 26, was sentenced in federal court, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
In April 2020, a search warrant was executed on the residence of Ruiz-Miguel, and several electronic devices were found to contain images of teenage girls engaging in sexual acts.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated:
…from July 2019 to April 2020, Miguel used Snapchat and other messaging apps popular with teenagers to contact at least 15 minor females in the Asheville area for the purpose of inducing the minors to produce sexually explicit images and engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money.
Some of the videos also depicted Miguel engaging in sex acts with the minors. As Miguel previously admitted in court, the defendant used the mobile payment service Cash App to pay the underage victims for the child pornography and sex acts.
Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Ruiz-Miguel to 28 years in prison.
