Dallas Sex Offender Gets 60 Years in Federal Prison for Exploiting 13-Year-Old

DALLAS - A Dallas man who was already required to register as a sex offender has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after admitting he used a cellphone to induce a 13-year-old child to produce sexually explicit images.

Eduardo Brito Leaton pleaded guilty May 14 to sexual exploitation of a child and committing a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.

Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor sentenced Leaton on Sept. 3 to 600 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and an additional 120 months for committing the offense while subject to sex offender registration requirements.

The sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 720 months, or 60 years.

According to court documents, Leaton used an internet-connected cellphone on June 15, 2024, to induce a 13-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual material. The images were then transmitted over the internet.

Investigators traced the communications to Leaton, who was living at the Dallas Transitional Housing Center at the time.

Authorities seized his cellphone during a parole-related contact. Investigators later obtained a search warrant and found digital evidence supporting the offense, according to federal prosecutors.

Court records show Leaton was already required to register as a sex offender because of multiple previous convictions.

Those included three Dallas County convictions in 2021 for possession or promotion of child pornography, which require lifetime sex offender registration under Texas law. Prosecutors said Leaton also had several convictions in Los Angeles County, California, for sexual offenses involving minors.

Leaton was still subject to those registration requirements when he committed the June 2024 offense.

Homeland Security Investigations Dallas investigated the case with the Waterloo Regional Police Service in Canada, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.