Arkansas man arrested for traveling to Colorado to have sex with children

DENVER — A man from Arkansas appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court Friday for a detention hearing following his recent arrest for aggravated sexual abuse with children, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and attempted coercion and enticement of minors.

This arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney John Walsh, District of Colorad, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge John Eisert.

This case was investigated by ICE HSI.

Donnie Waldo Jr., 47, of Dover, Arkansas, was charged by criminal complaint Nov. 10; he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver Nov. 17. Waldo was ordered held without bond Nov. 21 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Watanabe, after making a determination that the defendant was a danger to the community and a risk of flight.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, as well as the indictment, starting in October 2014, an undercover HSI special agent initiated an investigation targeting individuals using a specific website to sexually exploit children. The free website allows users to create profiles and post pornographic videos and pictures based on their sexual interests. The website included groups called "incest," "jailbait" and "teen." Members can post ads in the "classified" section seeking to meet members with the same sexual interests, such as incest and rape.

During the course of the investigation, the undercover special agent came across an ad on the website, which stated: "I am a 47 year old man I am 6'3" tall weight 220 lbs at the present time I am married but me and my wife cant have children together I am interested in finding a woman to have an incest relationship with I want to start an incest family with a nice woman who is seeking the same thing I want a woman who is interested in me breeding her if this is you then lets talk" (sic).

On Oct. 2, 2014, an undercover HSI special agent working in an online undercover capacity in Greeley, Colorado, as a single mother with two young daughters responded to the ad. The undercover special agent in the single-mother persona and the target conducted numerous chats online – mostly involving the prospect of him having a sexual relationship with the undercover special agent's persona and her two daughters, ages 10 and 14. During one of the chats, the target allegedly stated that he wanted a "very open relationship… openly having sex with you (the single mother persona) and both daughters" and further discussed that he wanted to impregnate the single mother's persona and both daughters.

Further investigation revealed that the ad was posted by Arkansas resident Donnie Waldo. Waldo made arrangements with the single-mother persona to travel to Denver to meet and engage in sexual relations with the mother and her two daughters. On Nov. 6, Waldo boarded a flight from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Atlanta. In Atlanta, he boarded a flight to Denver, where he was arrested by HSI special agents.

"Preventing sexual predators from using the Internet to prey on children is a crucial priority for law enforcement and for the United States Attorney's Office," said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. "This defendant was ordered held without bond because of the gravity of the pending charges."

If convicted of aggravated sexual abuse with children, Waldo faces not less than 30 years, and not more than life imprisonment. If convicted of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, he faces not more than 30 years in federal prison. If convicted of attempted coercion and enticement, Waldo faces not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison for each of the two counts. Each count also carries a penalty of up to a $250,000 fine.

Waldo is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts, District of Colorado.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.