ICE arrests Toa Baja man on child exploitation charges
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Toa Baja man was arrested Wednesday in the municipality of Vega Baja on child exploitation charges. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation that led to the arrest.
HSI special agents assigned to the Child Exploitation Investigations Group (CEIG) in San Juan arrested Reinaldo Rentas-Ortiz, 52, of Toa Baja, following an investigation that revealed that he allegedly attempted to produce child pornography and attempted to sexually entice and transport, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct, what he thought was a 13-year-old female minor.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 6, HSI San Juan CEIG initiated an investigation when an adult, identified as Rentas-Ortiz, began communicating via an Internet chat room with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old female minor to engage in illegal sexual activities. The charging document also alleges Rentas-Ortiz sent sexually explicit videos of himself, requested sexually explicit images and coordinated to meet with the individual whom he believed to be a minor to transport her to his apartment to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
“Those who believe they can get away with these heinous crimes against our children counting on the false anonymity of the Internet are wrong, as this man can attest,” said Orlando Baez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan. “We will continue working with our federal, state and local partners and using all our resources to bring those who exploit our children to justice.”
Rentas-Ortiz had his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce J. McGiverin on Wednesday. He was transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of his case. The detention hearing is set for March 26.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea is prosecuting the case.
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 16,000 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 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 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 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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