A Vacaville man has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents state that Michael Keith Rubino, 37, used his iPhone to record a video of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a 17-year-old girl who lived with him for about six weeks in late 2024. After the victim was admitted to a local hospital, Rubino told law enforcement that he had not engaged in sexual conduct with her, despite knowing otherwise.
The investigation was conducted by the Vacaville Police Department with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
Rubino is scheduled for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on November 11, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, as well as a possible $250,000 fine. The court will determine the final sentence based on statutory factors and federal guidelines.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
