A U.S. Army soldier traveled over a thousand miles to a 14-year-old lady in Maine and took her away from residence — twice, federal prosecutors stated. He’s accused of doing so to interact in intercourse acts together with her.
Christopher Meza was 20 and stationed at Fort Hood in Texas when he met the then-13-year-old on a web-based gaming platform and began messaging her over the social platform Discord in late 2020 and in early 2021, in line with court docket paperwork.
Their messages and video chats “grew to become more and more sexual,” and so they mentioned getting married and dwelling collectively in Texas, a authorities trial transient says.
Earlier than Meza, who’s now 22, is accused of taking the lady away from Maine on two separate events, he advised the teenager ought to go by a distinct identify, lie about her age to make their “relationship extra socially acceptable” and even mentioned turning into her authorized guardian, in line with prosecutors.
After a two-day trial, a jury on Nov. 1 discovered the previous soldier responsible of 1 rely of enticement of a kid, two counts of touring with intent to interact in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of transportation with intent to interact in felony sexual exercise, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Maine introduced in a information launch.
James Nixon, a federal defender representing Meza, declined a request for remark from McClatchy News on Nov. 2.
In a trial transient submitted by Nixon on behalf of Meza on Sept. 26, Nixon wrote his shopper deliberate to “depend on the presumption of innocence” on the jury trial.
The lady goes lacking from her residence
In September 2021, the lady, who was 14 on the time, by no means returned residence — prompting her mom to name police, the federal government trial transient says.
An investigation revealed Meza, whereas on “short-term depart from his Army submit,” drove from Texas to Maine, picked up {the teenager} and drove her out of state, in line with prosecutors. They stated the 2 had plans to make stops alongside the East Coast.
Police discovered the pair inside a lodge room in Massachusetts days in a while Sept. 17, 2021, the trial transient says.
Greater than two months later, the lady disappeared from her father’s residence in Maine on Nov. 22, 2021, in line with prosecutors.
After the lady’s mother and father employed a non-public investigator based mostly in Texas, the Army’s Felony Investigative Division bought concerned and met with Meza, who was at Fort Hood and “acknowledged the (teen) was at his condo,” the trial transient says.
The lady was discovered at an off-base condo that had a pc desk, chair and air mattress inside, the trial transient says.
In an interview with an Army Felony Investigation Division agent, Meza stated he carried out intercourse acts with the teenager, who was “taken into police custody as a runaway,” in line with the trial transient.
Three of the 5 counts Meza was discovered responsible of carry a most sentence of life in jail, prosecutors stated.
The opposite two counts carry a most penalty of 30 years in jail, in line with the discharge.
Any data associated to potential youngster sexual exploitation could be reported on the Nationwide Middle for Lacking & Exploited Youngsters’s CyberTipline right here.
In Could, Fort Hood was renamed to Fort Cavazos to honor Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos, the primary Hispanic four-star basic to serve within the Army, NPR reported.
The change stemmed from a Division of Protection initiative to rename navy bases related to those that served within the Accomplice Army, together with Accomplice Gen. John Bell Hood, whom Fort Hood was first named after, in line with NPR.
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