An Orlando man who traveled to Western New York to meet a teenager he groomed online before attempting to drive her south has been ordered to serve 132 months in federal prison. Jose Francisco Cardoso Tehovnik, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. for the receipt of child pornography.
The case against Cardoso Tehovnik began in early 2024. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, Cardoso Tehovnik was 21 when he initiated contact with a 16-year-old girl through social media in February.
Over the next two months, the minor sent him a video and two images that federal authorities identified as child pornography.
In late April 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik flew from Florida to the Western District of New York.
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He rented a hotel room where he met the victim in person on April 27, and the two engaged in sexual intercourse. Despite returning to Florida, he maintained contact with the girl via social media for several more weeks.
The situation escalated on June 4, 2024, when Cardoso Tehovnik traveled back to New York for a second time. Prosecutors stated that he picked the girl up from her school and fled the district with her, intending to bring her back to his home state of Florida.
The cross-country trip was cut short when law enforcement intercepted the vehicle in New Jersey. Cardoso Tehovnik was taken into custody without further incident, and the victim was recovered.
The successful prosecution followed a joint investigation by the FBI, the Niagara Falls Police Department, and the Beach Haven Police Department in New Jersey. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the 132-month sentence today, marking the conclusion of the federal case.
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