Plainview Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexual Exploitation of 10-Year-Old Child

A man who sexually abused a 10-year-old child in the presence of the child's younger sister was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Leandro Rodriquez, Jr., 44, of Plainview, Texas, was indicted in May 2025. He pled guilty in October 2025 to enticement of a minor and was sentenced today by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, in March 2025, the legal guardian of the victim, "Jane Doe," made a report of suspected sexual abuse involving Rodriquez, the boyfriend of Doe's biological mother. Doe and her younger sister had recently been allowed to stay overnight with their mother and Rodriquez at a residence in Plainview.

Doe's guardian discovered messages on Doe's phone instructing her where to meet once Doe's guardian left for work. Doe's guardian questioned Doe about the messages, and Doe told her guardian that the messages were from Rodriquez. Doe was later interviewed by law enforcement and disclosed that Rodriquez had sex with her when Doe and her sister had stayed with their mother. Doe stated that her little sister was present during the abuse. Doe also disclosed that, following the abuse, Rodriquez asked Doe to send him a video of Doe engaging in a sexual act, "'cause he taught me how."

Doe's younger sister was also interviewed by law enforcement. Doe's sister confirmed that she witnessed Rodriquez having sex with Doe while their mother was away from the residence.

Law enforcement seized Rodriquez's cell phone and obtained a search warrant. A search of the phone revealed several sexually explicit images of Doe along with messages from Rodriquez instructing Doe to leave her residence and meet up with him. Law enforcement also found a video of Rodriquez and Doe cuddling while Doe told the camera that they are "happily married."

The Plainview Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office - Lubbock Resident Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."