Laredo Felon Admits Guilt To Sexual Exploitation Of Pregnant Teen Girl
Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 8:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LAREDO, TX.- On Monday, September 23, 2024, Luis Andres Serna, 30, of Laredo, Texas, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Diana Saldana to one count of Production of Child Pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani, on April 5, 2022, law enforcement encountered Serna after he picked up a male undocumented illegal migrant in downtown Laredo, Texas, and transported him to an apartment building. At that time, a 16-year-old pregnant girl was also his passenger.
Police Discover Narcotics And Undocumented People
Later that day, law enforcement discovered 37 undocumented people and approximately 1,032 kilograms of marijuana inside several apartments linked to Serna and others. This led to Serna being taken into custody and charged with Narcotics Trafficking; and Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Undocumented People.
Accesses Jail Video System
Following being charged, Serna was remanded to federal custody. While in custody for the pending charges, Serna gained access to a tablet video system provided to federal inmates and contacted the same pregnant teen girl. The investigation uncovered Serna provided the girl’s name and phone number to initiate video calls with other detainees but did not disclose that the girl was a minor.
The facility’s communication system automatically records both parties’ displays during every video call. Law enforcement reviewed several hundred telephone calls and tablet video visits Serna initiated while detained.
The investigation further uncovered that Serna was in regular video communication with the teen girl.
Has Child Perform Acts
On June 24, 2022, Serna had her perform sex acts while he watched. The teen girl used her cellphone to record herself performing the acts and played the video for him over several days.
   “Protecting our children from sexual predators is one of my office’s most sacred responsibilities,” said Hamdani. “Serna is an especially reprehensible predator, a human smuggler and drug trafficker who exploited a pregnant child for his sexual gratification, adding the label ‘child pornographer’ to his resume of crimes. This prosecution and conviction will help ensure that Serna can no longer victimize Laredo’s citizens, especially children.”
Serna also later pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Over 1000 Kilograms of Marijuana; and Conspiracy of Human Transportation.
U.S. District Judge Saldana accepted Serna’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for a date to be determined by the court. When sentenced, Serna faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine on the sexual exploitation conviction, as well as a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life, respectively, for the human smuggling and drug trafficking charges.
