Man who tried to entice minor for sex to serve 10 years in prison

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A Springfield man will spend 10 years in prison for trying to entice a minor for sex.

Rafael Mercado Berrios, 42, was convicted in June after a jury trial. Prosecutors presented evidence showing he used a mobile app to arrange to meet a person he believed to be a 15-year-old minor for sexual activity.

At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough found Mercado Berrios tried to obstruct justice by asking a former girlfriend to delete information from his computer and directing her to not speak to law enforcement agencies. He also told her what to say if she chose to speak.

The statutory penalty for attempted enticement of a minor is 10 years to life behind bars. The statutory penalty for use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor is no more than five years in prison. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000.

Along with his 10 years prison sentence, Mercado Berrios must serve 10 years of supervised release.

Prosecution against Mercado Berrios is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of INvestigation, Springfield Office with the help of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield Police Department and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanner K. Jacobs and Gregory K. Harris represented the government in prosecution.