Man in US illegally convicted in exploitation case after pursuing agent posing as teen girl: court

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A federal judge has convicted a 50‑year‑old El Salvadoran man who was in the United States illegally on child sexual exploitation charges after he contacted and attempted to meet an undercover law enforcement agent posing online as a 14‑year‑old girl, officials say.

Mario Alexander Bonilla Canales was found guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and illegally reentering the United States after removal subsequent to a felony conviction.

Prosecutors said Bonilla Canales used Facebook in June 2025 to reach out to someone he believed was a 14‑year‑old girl. Over the next three days, even after the undercover agent told him she was 14, he repeatedly requested sexually explicit images and pressed to meet for sex.

Authorities say he later traveled to a Fairfax County park for the meeting. When officers moved in, he fled, damaging two police vehicles and ignoring lights and sirens before being taken into custody.

According to federal prosecutors, Bonilla Canales had been removed from the United States at least three times. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 23.

Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C., led the case with assistance from the Virginia State Police. The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative focused on combating child sexual exploitation.