A Vacaville man has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents show 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 officers that he had not engaged in sexual conduct with her, despite knowing otherwise.
The investigation was conducted by the Vacaville Police Department with assistance 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 $250,000 fine. The final sentence will be determined by the court 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 project coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
