Tri-Cities man who used Snapchat to lure teen girls, gets 20 years in prison

A Pasco man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a student told her school guidance counselor that she was pregnant, and the father was a man she met on Snapchat.

Manuel Antonio Rodriguez was 26 when he had sex with the girl, then 15.

A police investigation found that Rodriguez also had sexually explicit Snapchat conversations with other teens who said they were as young as 13 and persuaded one to send him sexual photos and video, according to court documents.

He pleaded guilty in federal court to online enticement of a minor and attempted production of child pornography.

U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian sentenced Rodriguez on Wednesday in Yakima, ordering him to prison and a lifetime of probation. He also must register as a sex offender.

The pregnant teen, when interviewed by Pasco Police Department detectives, said that she posted a story to Snapchat with some friends in fall 2022 after a wedding they attended.

Someone she did not know, later identified at Rodriguez, commented on her story and they began messaging each other.

Two months later when the teen was working with a group to distribute food to the homeless in downtown Pasco, Rodriguez picked her up, and they had sex in his car. Two days later he arranged to meet her at a park, and they had sex in his car again, according to court documents.

The police investigation also turned up sexual photos and video of a 14-year-old girl living in the Midwest. She said Rodriguez had asked her for photos after finding her on Snapchat.

The Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force helped find additional online sexual messages from him to girls who said they were ages 13 to 17, according to the Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney’s Office.

At the time he had a job, a home and a long-time girlfriend, according to court documents. He was educated as a dental hygienist.

Rodriguez’s attorney, Dennis Hanson of Kennewick asked the judge for a 15-year sentence. Laurel Holland, assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern Washington District, asked for a 25-year sentence.

“I applaud the courage of the 15-year-old victim, whose report enabled law enforcement to protect other children from Mr. Rodriguez’s conduct,” said Pete Serrano, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern Washington District.

Offenders who use social media platforms to exploit children often believe they can hide behind a screen, said Hyrum Stohel, sergeant with the task force.

“But through careful investigation and digital forensics, law enforcement is often able to identify those responsible and stop further victimization,” he said.

The Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force includes special agents with Homeland Security Investigations and local detectives from the Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco police departments, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 6:15 AM.