Santo Domingo – Dominican former basketball player Dagoberto Peña, 37, has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison in the United States. The sentence is due to his guilty plea on multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors.
Judge Sheri Polster Chappell was in charge of handing down the sentence this Tuesday. In addition to the prison sentence, it was ordered that Peña serve supervised release for life once his sentence is over. He is also required to register in the sex offender registry.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Peña admitted his guilt on January 23, 2026. Investigations revealed that, between October 2024 and February 2026, the former athlete convinced at least two minors to participate in explicit sexual activities. The goal was to produce audiovisual material documenting the abuse.
The case came to light in April 2025, when a father reported inappropriate communications between the accused and a minor. Following the alert, the authorities confiscated electronic devices and digital accounts from the defendant. There they found messages, images, and videos with illicit content. Subsequently, the investigators identified a third victim.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in collaboration with local agencies in Florida. These included specialized units in the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking.
In his sporting career, Peña played as a forward and represented the Dominican Republic in the national basketball team. He participated in international events such as the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He also developed a professional career in leagues in Europe and Latin America, playing for teams in Spain, France, Colombia, Uruguay, and Lithuania.
In addition, the former player had experience in US college basketball with Marshall University, after training at Charlotte County High School.
