San Diego

IB Man Who Traveled to Atlanta to Molest 9-Year-Old Sentenced

An Imperial Beach man found guilty of traveling to Atlanta to have sex with a 9-year-old girl was sentenced to 35 years in prison Tuesday.

A federal jury convicted then 39-year-old Craig Alan Castaneda last December.

Prosecutors said an undercover FBI agent posted an ad on Craigslist in April 2015 posing as a mother seeking a "teacher" for her 9-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say Castaneda responded, describing his prior experience molesting children, including one as young as 4 years old.

Castaneda continued to correspond with the undercover agent for several weeks and made plans to travel to Atlanta. In one of the last messages before boarding a plane, he instructed the "mother" to buy sex toys and lubricant.

FBI agents arrested Castaneda when he arrived at the Atlanta airport on May 2, 2015.

Contact Us