More Sexual Conduct Charges Filed Against Minnesota Inmate
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office has filed more sex-crime-related charges against an inmate incarcerated at the Minnesota Department of Corrections facility in Faribault.
30-year-old Ruben Cortez is accused of exchanging sexually explicit images and videos with a girl under the age of 14 and advertising the content for sale online. The charges detail communications Cortez and the young girl had over social media apps Snap Chat, Swipr and Wink.
Prosecutors say Cortez and the girl, based in South Dakota, began sending the sexually explicit images and videos to each other over Snap Chat in July then switched to Swipr in August. Cortez then instructed the girl to perform specific sexual acts in videos and to post the videos to her Swipr account for the two to make money.
The victim told investigators she and Cortez then talked about setting up an account on Wink after the account blocked for posting two images on Swipr in late August. Court documents also disclose a meeting between Cortez and the teen in South Dakota on August 28 and conversations about sexual acts the two did together after the apparent meet-up.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available for help. Visit the RAINN website (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).
The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office filed the following felony charges against Cortez on Tuesday:
- Solicit Child or Believe to be a Child Through Electronic Communication to Engage in Sexual Conduct
- Engage in Electronic Communication Relating or Describing Sexual Conduct with Child.
- Distribute via Electronic Communication Material that Relates/Describes Sexual Conduct to a Child
- Use Minors in Sexual Performance/Pornographic Work - Minor under 14 years old
The complaint says Cortez admitted to sending pictures to the girl. Cortez is also accused of filming sexual interactions he had with a Rochester-area minor. He was charged in connection with that case earlier this month.
Both cases stem from a family member of the Rochester-area girl alerting law enforcement to sexual images found on a phone Cortez allegedly gave the Rochester-area minor earlier this year. Investigators connected Cortez to the young girl in South Dakota through communications found on the cell phone, the complaint states.
Minnesota corrections records indicate that Cortez was booked into the state jail in Faribault on October 19. He was sentenced to prison time in May 2018 for a child pornography possession conviction in Waseca County.
The conviction requires Cortez to register as a sex offender. He’s due in Olmsted County Court for the charges filed Tuesday in late January.
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