St. Croix Man, 65, Facing Charges for Child Sexual Exploitation

ST. CROIX — Juan Bermudez, a 65-year-old resident of St. Croix, has been formally charged with several serious offenses, including sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement, second-degree aggravated rape, and second-degree unlawful sexual contact, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced.

The charges against Bermudez, if proven, carry severe penalties ranging from a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 to 15 years to the possibility of life imprisonment. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors.

The investigation leading to these charges was a joint effort by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Virgin Islands Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Everard Potter are leading the prosecution of this case.