U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez | U.S. Department of Justice
A Dulce man has admitted guilt in a case involving sexual abuse of a minor with the use of force. According to court documents, Cisco Cruzito Pinto, aged 38 and a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor between the ages of 12 and 16 on or about September 13, 2023. The victim resisted, but Pinto used force to maintain control.
Pinto is currently detained and awaiting sentencing. He faces a potential sentence ranging from any term of years up to life imprisonment. Upon release, he will be subject to supervised release for at least five years and potentially for life.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office led the investigation with support from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Nicholas J. Marshall are prosecuting under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. This program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders who exploit children online while also identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.
