Teen part of child sex abuse scheme gets jail time

A now-18-year-old man found out his punishment Monday for his role in a child abuse scheme.

Ricardo Lugo pretended to be a 12-year-old 6th grader and teamed up with a 28-year-old to sexually abuse kids.

Lugo refused a plea bargain and instead, took his chances with the judge.

He got 20 years in prison for an indecency with a child conviction and essentially 10 years’ probation for 10 counts of child pornography.

Lugo was 16 when he registered in school and sat alongside other 6th graders at Hurst Hills Elementary School.

His attorney says after 28-year-old Randy Wesson met Lugo online, he brought him to Fort Worth, passed him off as his 12-year-old son and then put him in school to find child victims for Wesson.

The prosecutor argued that Lugo was looking for victims for himself.

Forensic psychologist Emily Fallis testified for the defense that Lugo is a pedophile who liked to wear diapers.

 

She said Lugo would be less of a risk to the community with sex offender therapy in a mental health facility than by going to prison.

“I perceive him as someone who is easily manipulated,” said Fallis. “That is part of what happened with his involvement with Mr. Wesson over the internet and phone calls. There was manipulation, there was grooming done."

The state had offered an 18-year sentence for the indecency with a child charge, but Lugo refused it.

His attorney gambled for probation, but the judge gave him the maximum sentence.

Lugo will have to serve at least half his 20-year sentence before he's eligible for probation.

Whenever he gets out, he'll have to do 10 years of sex offender therapy.

If he breaks any of those terms, he would go back to prison.