FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WLUK) — A Fond du Lac County court has handed down maximum prison sentences to two defendants in a human trafficking and child sexual assault case involving a 12-year-old girl.
Juan Carlos Rocha-Mejia, 32, pleaded no contest in June to first-degree sexual assault of a child and was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison, followed by 20 years of extended supervision.
His girlfriend, 35-year-old Elia Antonio, the victim’s mother, pleaded guilty to four counts, including trafficking her own child and failure to act. She received 34 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision.
According to prosecutors, Antonio accepted $250 from Rocha-Mejia in exchange for sexual access to her daughter on May 19, 2024, in the Town of Oakfield.
The case came to light after a good Samaritan called 911, reporting that the girl had escaped from a van, where Rocha-Mejia had bound, blindfolded, and assaulted her. The child managed to fight back and flee to safety.
Both defendants are reportedly in the United States illegally.
During sentencing, Judge Laura Lavey condemned their actions, saying, “You don’t need to go to school to learn human decency. Children are not property.”
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney called the case “beyond appalling,” adding that both defendants received the maximum possible sentences.
Rocha-Mejia asked for leniency, citing his own children, but prosecutors said he showed no genuine remorse.
Both received 459 days of credit for time already served. Antonio declined to make a statement in court.
