ICE arrests 2 for attempted sexual enticement of a minor
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two individuals charged with attempted sexual enticement of a minor were arrested Thursday in Toa Baja and San Juan. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation that spurred the arrests.
Tanya Figueroa-Pagan, 33, of Toa Baja, was arrested by HSI agents after a referral from Puerto Rico Police Department’s (PRPD) Sexual Crimes Division in Arecibo led to an HSI investigation that revealed she held sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old male minor and proposed taking him to a hotel to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
On a separate case, HSI special agents also arrested Joel Saldaña-Rivera, 23, of San Juan, for attempted sexual enticement of a minor. According to the criminal complaint, Saldaña-Rivera used an Internet-based chat room to entice to whom he believed to be an 11-year-old girl into criminal sexual conduct.
Both, Figueroa-Pagan and Saldaña-Rivera had their initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Sylvia Carreno-Coll on Friday. They were transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center until their detention hearing scheduled for March 2.
“With so many child exploitation cases involving the possession, production and distribution of child pornography, as well as the sexual enticement of minors, one would think that those involved in this heinous crimes are getting the message that HSI is vigilant and that they will be arrested, but instead they continue to challenge us thinking that they will never get caught,” said Ricardo Mayoral, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “Have no doubt, you will be identified, arrested and prosecuted if you are involved in any type of child exploitation.”
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 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.
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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. 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.
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