A Lehigh Acres man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for trafficking and sexually abusing children.

Jesus Francisco Santana Perez, 54, was sentenced as a habitual felony offender on two counts of human trafficking. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison on each of three counts of lewd battery on a child and one count of use of a child in a sexual performance. Santana Perez was sentenced to 30 years in prison for delivery of a controlled substance to a minor and was also designated a sexual predator. He was found guilty at trial in March in Lee County.

Santana Perez provided children in Lehigh Acres with illegal drugs and alcohol and then sexually exploited them over a six-month period in 2019. During the trial, the victims, their family members, and child trauma experts testified to the crimes committed. The state also presented documentary evidence sourced from social media to corroborate the allegations.