Man sentenced to two years for reentry after impregnating teenager
Pablo Gomez-Sarmiento received the statutory maximum federal sentence following his state conviction for a crime involving a 15-year-old victim.
By Malik Salazar ·
Pablo Gomez-Sarmiento, 25, will spend two years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence on Monday. He received the statutory maximum for the charge.
Court records show the Mexican citizen was removed from the country in January 2020. He returned to the U.S. without authorization. In 2024, police in Alachua County, Florida, arrested him for impregnating a child under the age of 16. He admitted to seeing the 15-year-old get off a school bus and knew she was a minor.
Gomez-Sarmiento pleaded guilty to the federal reentry charge. He was convicted in state court in 2025 and sentenced to state prison. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement learned of his presence in the state while he served that sentence. The agency then initiated the federal criminal case.
John P. Heekin, the U.S. Attorney, stated the defendant's rape of the child was 100% preventable. Heekin said the case reaffirms the necessity of securing borders and enforcing immigration laws. He credited President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche for committing the Department of Justice to repelling the invasion of illegal immigration.
Matthew Elliston, director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Miami, said criminal illegal aliens who prey on children will find no place to hide. He noted the defendant unlawfully returned after removal and targeted a child to sexually exploit. Elliston said ICE will not tolerate those who defy immigration laws and prey on innocent victims.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming prosecuted the case. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The federal prosecution followed the state conviction. The two-year term is the maximum allowed for the specific reentry offense. The defendant is now serving his federal sentence.
