In April, 23-year-old Joel Alexander Wright - who was described by prosecutors as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" - had pleaded guilty before a San Diego federal judge to attempted enticement of a minor.
He told the court he was behind a series of explicit emails to an undercover agent and a cooperating witness in which he said he wanted to sexually assault children in Mexico.
Wright admitted to posting ads on small ads site Craigslist seeking a travel guide in Tijuana, the Mexican town that sits along the border with San Diego.
He initially told a woman he met through the website that he wanted to marry but then confided that he wanted to "adopt/own a baby girl (under the age of three)" for sex, according to his plea agreement.
Wright was arrested in San Diego in January after getting off a plane with a duffel bag that contained baby clothes, sleep aids, candy and lubricant, prosecutors said.
He had previously been studying to become a Roman Catholic priest at a seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
Judge Dana Sabraw said during the sentencing on Friday that Wright's conduct was "incredibly deeply disturbing and horrific."
He also noted that Wright was born severely disabled and suffered from a host of health problems, including paraphilia, a condition characterized by abnormal sexual behavior.
