John McCarthy
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A St. Thomas man was given 12.5 years in prison today for taking an underage girl to Mariendahl to have sex.
Osvaldo Tavarez, 48, of Estate Bovoni, was sentenced as a result of his conviction for transporting a minor for illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez sentenced Tavarez to 150 months incarceration, a life time of supervised release, and a $100 Special Assessment.
As part of his sentence, Tavarez also is required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on or around January 30, 2018, Tavarez transported a 13-year old minor child who resided in his household, from the Bovoni area to Mariendahl, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor, which would constitute first-degree aggravated rape under Virgin Islands law.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD).
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard Potter.
