Virginia Trucker Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Rhode Island Byline: Lindsay Lague Dateline: Providence, Rhode Island Date: 22 January 2026 Subjects: American Government , Crime Topic: David Romero Reyes

PROVIDENCE – A Virginia truck driver was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for engaging in sexual contact with a minor female who traveled with him in his tractor-trailer truck, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.

David Romero Reyes, 55, of Stafford, Virginia, was sentenced on January 20, 2026, by Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 17 years in federal prison. Romero Reyes pleaded guilty on September 3, 2025, to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He was also given 20 years of supervised release following his prison term and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

“The sentence imposed in this case reflects the defendant’s monstrous actions. There is no place in our federal district or in our society for such egregious abuse of a child,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This office will use every available resource to ensure that those who prey on the most vulnerable will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to court documents, in April 2021, Romero Reyes was detained by Naval Station Newport Police following a routine background check to enter the Navy base to make a delivery. Police determined that he was wanted in Texas on a charge of felony assault of a child. The young girl was located inside the sleeping compartment of the truck during a routine inspection. The girl was brought for a medical examination at Hasbro Children’s Hospital where it was learned that she was approximately five months pregnant. The girl was reported missing from her Virginia home in July 2020, when she was 14 years old.  An investigation determined that Romero Reyes was known to the girl and to her family prior to her disappearance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and John P. McAdams.

The matter was investigated by the Naval Station Newport Police, FBI, and Rhode Island State Police.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc

Contact

Lindsay Lague

(401) 709-5098

Updated January 22, 2026

Press Release Number: 26-9