L-R, Elia Antonio, Juan Carolos Rocha Mejia. (Fond du Lac Co. Jail)
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A human trafficking case involving a 12-year-old girl in Fond du Lac County resulted in maximum sentences for the victim’s mother and the man who paid for sexual access to her.
Juan Carlos Rocha-Mejia, 32, pleaded no contest in June to first-degree sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison with 20 years of extended supervision.
The girl’s mother, 35-year-old Elia Antonio, pleaded guilty to four counts, including trafficking her own child and failure to act. She was sentenced Thursday to 34 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision.
According to the criminal complaint, Rocha-Mejia is Antonio’s boyfriend and both individuals are in the United States illegally.
Prosecutors say Rocha-Mejia gave Antonio $250 for sexual access to her daughter. The incident happened May 19, 2024, in the town of Oakfield.
Just after midnight, a good Samaritan called 911 to report a 12-year-old girl had showed up at his door asking for help, saying she had just fled from the back of a van in the area. Investigators learned Rocha-Mejia had bound and blindfolded the girl and then sexually assaulted her, but she fought back and was able to escape.
During Rocha Mejia’s sentencing, Judge Laura Lavey said, “Indigency and lack of education is noted, but they are not mitigating circumstances. You don’t need to go to school to learn of human decency and kindness. You don’t need to go to school to learn you don’t treat children as property.
Or worse, you don’t treat children as vessels for your own sexual gratification. Not excused by any culture differences in one’s own upbringing. Children are not for sale.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney shared his thoughts on this case after the sentencing hearings Thursday.
“Both defendants got the maximum sentence for human trafficking. A sexual assault circumstance that was just beyond appalling, with a mother allowing her daughter to be trafficked to her boyfriend. Both defendants illegally in the country, and Judge Lavy’s comment of ‘Children are not for sale’ couldn’t be more true,” Toney said.
Rocha-Mejia pleaded his case for a lighter sentence during the hearing, saying he has two daughters of his own — one of which is frequently ill. Toney says his comments didn’t come from a place of remorse.
“An argument like that, for somebody that’s a father, should know better. And I think those types of arguments fall flat and at times, we see somebody that, they’re more sad that they got caught. They’re not remorseful for what they did. What I think was noteworthy when he was giving that sentencing allocution to the court, he wasn’t really commenting on the survivor and the impact on her and her family. It was all about him,” Toney said.
Both Rocha-Mejia and Antonio were given 459 days credit toward their sentence for time already served.
Antonio declined to make a statement when given the chance to address the court.
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