Former Lafayette Catholic School Coach Gets 10 Years in Federal Child Sex Case

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - A former coach at St. Thomas More Catholic School was arrested in the summer of 2023 by federal agents. Now, he faces a decade in prison for federal child sex crimes.

Angel Cardona was accused of Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. The complaint against him alleged that the crimes occurred between June 14 and July 16, 2023.

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In January, he pleaded guilty to one count of use of a facility to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Cardona told the judge that he "accepted responsibility for actions and was sorry for disappointing society, his family and himself," according to The Advocate.

During the summer of 2023, Cardona was engaged in a chat with a 13-year-old girl on the chat app Whisper, which utilizes anonymous posting and chatting. The chat went from there to Kik, another chat app. The chats became sexually explicit in nature.

The 13-year-old then admitted she was having trouble with the app and asked for a number to text. The conversation continued via text message until they agreed to meet up. However, the 13-year-old wasn't a 13-year-old at all. It was an undercover agent.

“From the time the conversations between the undercover agent and Cardona began, Cardona initiated conversations about sex, sexual experiences and the undercover agent’s body," a statement from the Department of Justice read. "On numerous occasions, the undercover agent made reference to her age of 13. The conversations regarding her sexual inexperience increased over time, becoming more graphic and detailed."

Cardona will serve his 10-year sentence in a South Florida federal prison with a sexual offender rehabilitation program at his request to be closer to his wife and children.

You can see more of our coverage of Cardona below.

READ MORE:

Another STM Assistant Coach Fired, Arrested by Federal Agents According to School

Charges Against Recently-Arrested St. Thomas More Coach Made Public

Details Released after Former Lafayette Coach Pleads Guilty to Juvenile Sex Crimes

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