Justice was served on Wednesday as Vincent Joseph Robusto, a 42-year-old Georgia resident, received a sentence of 33 years and 9 months in federal prison for horrific crimes against a minor.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell’s ruling included convictions for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Robusto will also endure a lifetime of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender, ensuring public safety.
A federal jury found Robusto guilty on January 15, 2025, following a trial that presented compelling evidence of his egregious crimes.
According to evidence presented in court, Robusto engaged in sexual discussions with a minor through a social media application beginning in at least February 2021.
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In a calculated move, Robusto purchased an airline ticket for the minor using his bank card in July 2021, providing the minor’s name and date of birth to the airline, thereby confirming his knowledge of the minor’s age. On July 17, 2021, Robusto facilitated the minor’s travel from Texas to Fort Myers, where airport surveillance video captured him picking up the minor.
The minor’s parent, upon discovering the disappearance, contacted the Dilley (Texas) Police Department (DPD) and shared cellphone location data. The DPD then reached out to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) for assistance, providing a residential address in Port Charlotte indicated by the locator application.
In the early hours of July 23, 2021, at approximately 3:00 a.m., CCSO deputies responded to the Port Charlotte residence and located Robusto with the minor. During a subsequent search of the residence, law enforcement discovered a firearm and ammunition inside Robusto’s backpack on a kitchen table. Robusto, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
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Further investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) included DNA analysis of evidence collected in the case. A crime laboratory analyst confirmed Robusto’s DNA on the firearm and in the analysis of a sexual assault kit collected from the minor.
This extensive investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. The Dilley Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Lee County Port Authority also provided significant assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Benjamin S. Winter prosecuted the case.
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