LOGAN — A 43-year-old man from Las Vegas, Nevada has been sentenced to prison for sexting with a 16-year-old boy in Cache Valley. Robert James Saucedo was given the maximum sentence after telling a judge that he deserved to go to prison for what he did.
Saucedo was sentenced Monday, April 14, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; and dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
According to prosecutors, the Cache County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Saucedo after a man called 911 on March 24, 2024. He told deputies that he had found messages on his son’s phone, sharing nude photos of himself with an adult male.
The messages took place through several social media apps with an individual by the name of Rob. They also included discussions about meeting up.
Deputies seized the phone for forensic analysis. It showed multiple times the boy had communicated with the defendant, exchanging pornographic photos, discussing his young age and where he lived, court paperwork described.
Law enforcement were able to obtain a warrant and track the messages to Saucedo. They were also able to use facial recognition software to positively identify the defendant in some of the pictures.
According to court records, Saucedo has a lengthy criminal history involving children. He was previously charged with having contact with minors, dealing in harmful material to minors and arranging to meet with a minor.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Cache County Deputy Attorney Joshua Nemeth said the court needed to protect children in the community. He explained how the victim was facing emotional consequences for the defendant’s crimes.
Saucedo called his actions “sick and selfish,” and expressed hope that the teenage boy would be able to heal. He said that he was sorry for what he did and hoped he could get mental help in prison.
Judge Spencer Walsh sentenced Saucedo to 1-15 years in prison, stating that he needed to send a strong message of deterrence. He said people need to know that if they seek out minors or child pornography on the internet, they will go to prison.