ICE arrests California man for attempted sex trafficking of children

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A man who traveled from California to Puerto Rico to allegedly engage in criminal sexual conduct with a 9-year-old minor was arrested Saturday for attempted sex trafficking of children. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation that led to the arrest.

Shane Ryan Yoder, 37, of Fairfield, California, was arrested by HSI special agents after arriving at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport from California. According to the criminal complaint, on March 6, Yoder sent an email to an HSI special agent who was acting in an undercover capacity. In the email, Yoder told the agent that he was traveling to Puerto Rico soon and that he was really interested in small little petite girls.

The agent meanwhile was posing as a person who routinely offered minors for sex in exchange for money. During their conversations, Yoder agreed to pay for sex with multiple girls 8 to 12 years of age. Yoder also boasted of having sexually abused a 2-year-old girl in the past. On March 19, HSI special agents arrested Yoder upon his midnight arrival in Puerto Rico. He was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo awaiting his initial appearance and detention hearing.

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 spare no expense to make sure that Puerto Rico 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.