Illegal immigrant gets a year for sex with girl in Chesapeake
By JOHN HOPKINS, The Virginian-Pilot
© October 29, 2007
Last updated: 11:17 AM

An illegal immigrant was sentenced today in Chesapeake Circuit Court to a year in prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl and producing nude images of the child.

Carlos De La Cruz Ramos, fomerly of the 3700 block of S. Military Highway in Chesapeake, was arrested in May after a Wal-Mart store clerk processed film he had dropped off that showed images of a nude child, police said. Ramos was convicted in August of producing child pornography and carnal knowledge, both felonies carrying maximum punishments of 10 years in prison.

Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney David Whitted said Ramos was 19 when he committed the crime.

Judge E. Preston Grissom sentenced Ramos to five years with four years suspended on each conviction. His prison time will run together, meaning Ramos will serve an active sentence of one year behind bars. Grissom also ordered that Ramos, upon his release from prison, be turned over to federal authorities for deportation. Grissom ordered that Ramos register as a sex offender in the event he is not deported. If he ever returned to the United States, it would be a violation of his suspended sentence.

With the aid of an interpreter, Ramos stood in court today and responded "no" when asked if he had anything to say. Ramos, who has a sixth-grade education, has been in jail since his arrest March 8.

"The defendant enticed the victim in this particular offense to have sexual intercourse with him in her home," Whitted said, noting that Ramos also took pictures of the girl.

A clerk at the Wal-Mart on Grassfield Parkway alerted police after processing the pictures. When Ramos arrived at the store to pick up the pictures, police questioned him. Ramos said he had been dating the girl, police said.

During an investigation, police discovered that Ramos was in the country illegally. Prosecutors said he was here from Mexico.

The victim was not present for the sentencing. The child's mother has said that she was unaware of any sexual activity between her child and Ramos, police said. The girl admitted to a relationship.

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