German man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for child sex tourism

TUCSON, Ariz. — A German tourist who traveled to the United States with the intent of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Karsten Puschmann, 51, of Kiel, Germany, appeared in federal court Friday. In addition to the 189-month jail term, Puschmann will be subject to a lifetime of supervision following his release from prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Puschmann pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to the child sex tourism charge. He admitted using the Internet to negotiate and plan trips to Mexico in order to engage in commercial sex acts with six different children between the ages of 5 and 11. Puschmann, who traveled to Tucson from Europe for this purpose, was arrested upon his arrival in Arizona by HSI special agents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted under the auspices of 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 10,000 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 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents as part of 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.