Physician indicted on child sex charge following ICE investigation

FORT SMITH, Ark. — An Arkansas man who is a practicing physician in Arkansas and Missouri was indicted on a federal felony charge Monday for attempting to entice a 4-year-old child across state lines for sexual abuse. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fort Smith Police Department, the West Plains Police Department and Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

According to court documents, Donald W. Lamoureaux, 68, of Ash Flat, was arrested following an undercover investigation in which Fort Smith officers posed in an Internet chat room as a mother offering her 4-year-old daughter for sex. During online conversation Lamoreaux told the undercover officer posing as the mother that he wanted to meet the child for sex. He subsequently deposited $300 into a bank account Feb. 4 to cover the mother’s travel expenses across state lines and scheduled a meeting with the mother and child at a hotel in West Plains, Missouri. Lamoreaux was arrested Feb. 6 when he arrived at the designated hotel to meet and sexually abuse the child.

Prior to his arrest, Lamoureaux practiced family medicine in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas and Dexter, Missouri. He was also employed at the Veterans Affairs Medical facility in West Plains, Missouri.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts is prosecuting the case on behalf of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas Conner Eldridge.

“The conduct at issue in this case is frightening. The threat of abuse to young and innocent children is serious, ever-present and very real. We must and will do everything in our power to bring those involved in these despicable crimes to justice,” said Eldridge.

If convicted, Lamoreaux faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under 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.

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.