ICE arrests 2 men on child exploitation charges
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested Tuesday two men on child exploitation charges in Carolina and San Juan.
Francis De Jesus-Falero, 47, of San Juan, was arrested for attempted sexual enticement of a minor and attempted production of child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint, De Jesus-Falero sent sexually explicit images to whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl and attempted to meet her to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
On a separate case, HSI special agents arrested Samuel Santos-Rodriguez, 40, of Carolina, for possession and production of child pornography. According to the indictment, Santos-Rodriguez, possessed child pornography material that involved a prepubescent minor and attempted to entice and coerce a 14-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography material.
“As these arrests make clear, those who abuse our children face serious consequences,” said Ricardo Mayoral, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “HSI, in collaboration with its local, state and federal partners, is using every tool at its disposal to identify predators and bring them to justice – whether they are around the block or around the world.”
Both men had their initial hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Camille L. Velez-Rive on Tuesday. They were transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center until their bail hearing scheduled for Feb. 12.
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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