HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – An Indiana man has been indicted for allegedly travelling to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
A one-count indictment charges Joel Duron Esparza, 21, of Middlebury, Indiana, with interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. According to the indictment on May 2, 2026, Esparza travelled from Indiana to Marshall County, Alabama. Esparza was arrested by the FBI at his residence in Indiana on August 10, 2026.
“Stop and think about the predatory desperation it takes to drive hours and hours to prey upon an innocent child,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This is abhorrent criminal behavior. I’m thankful for the FBI and other law enforcement partners who assisted in bringing justice to bear. Criminals who dare to act upon their most deviant, prurient instincts will be dealt with to the utmost that the law allows. Children are a treasure and we will always work for their protection in the Northern District of Alabama.”
“Crimes against children are intolerable,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “This indictment underscores our commitment, alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, to pursuing offenders wherever they may be and ensuring they are held to the highest level of accountability under the law.”
The maximum penalty for interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor is 30 years.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
FBI investigated the case along with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah is prosecuting the case. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
