Man facing life in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking teen in and around Stockton

A Stockton man pleaded guilty last week to trafficking a 16-year-old victim through dozens of online prostitution ads and then recording the teen in motel rooms in and around the Stockton area, federal authorities said.

The man, Angel Jesus Sanchez-Manriquez, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday to sex trafficking of a child, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California said in a news release.

Sanchez-Manriquez posted some 70 ads on a prostitution website, each containing images of the 16-year-old victim and advertising the victim's availability to perform commercial sex acts for buyers, according to court documents. Search warrants revealed that Sanchez-Manriquez also used his cellphone to record images and videos of the victim during the acts with adults, including himself, acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said.

Sanchez-Manriquez faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2 by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley.

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If you or someone you know or suspect is a victim of human trafficking, the local Women's Center-Youth & Family Services offers help. Call the San Joaquin County agency's 24-hour Human Trafficking Helpline at (209) 948-1911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. The agency also offers tips and resources for health care workers; visit www.womenscenteryfs.org for more information.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case against Sanchez-Manriquez, brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combatting the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

For more information, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab for information about internet-safety education.

Record reporter Elizabeth Roberts covers community and breaking news. She can be reached at eroberts@recordnet.com or on Twitter @eroberts209. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

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