Fort Payne Man Sentenced in Child Exploitation Case

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — A Fort Payne man has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to child exploitation.

According to the Marshall County District Attorney’s Office, Ricardo Carrillo-Becerra entered a blind guilty plea to Traveling to Meet a Child for an Unlawful Sex Act on Dec. 8, 2025. A blind plea means there was no agreement with the DA’s office regarding sentencing.

The crime Carrillo-Becerra is charged with is a Class A felony, meaning he faced a sentencing range of 10 to 99 years or life in prison.

On Monday, Circuit Judge Matt Elliot sentenced Carrillo-Becerra to 20 years, split to serve four years in prison, followed by probation.

Carrillo-Becerra’s conviction stems from a sting operation conducted by the Albertville Police Department in partnership with the Covenant Rescue Group, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and the Marshall County Drug Unit. During the operation, Carrillo-Becerra communicated with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old girl and agreed to meet her for sexual acts in exchange for money. He made a full confession at the time of his arrest.

(FOX54)