A McAllen man faces up to life in prison after allegedly getting a 15-year-old girl into sending him sexually explicit images in exchange for money.

Luis Fabian Vela is set to be sentenced on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, after pleading guilty to a charge of coercion or enticement of a female, court records indicate. 

Vela was initially arrested on Jan. 12, 2023. He was 61 at the time of the arrest.

The criminal complaint against Vela said he was arrested while trying to cross into the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry.

According to the criminal complaint against him, Vela was identified as the suspect in an online enticement investigation after a 15-year-old minor reported to police that she sent the images to Vela over WhatsApp between Sept. 29, 2022 and Oct. 4, 2022. 

In an interview with agents with Homeland Security Investigations, Vela admitted to soliciting the images from the minor that were saved to a hidden photo album on his phone.

Court records show Vela pleaded guilty on October 2023.

Vela currently remains out on a $500,000 bond.