Thirty-seven-year-old Staff Sergeant Moeun Yoeun stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) was arrested Wednesday on charges of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact, as well as of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran in a press release.
Yoeun appeared at Tacoma’s U.S. District Court Wednesday morning following his arrest and will remain in custody while awaiting a detention hearing. Police first noticed after Facebook notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user with multiple accounts was using them to entice minors into sending sexual imagery, in addition to making travel plans to the Philippines for sex with minors.
This comes in the wake of Washington State Patrol recently arresting 22 accused “dangerous sexual predators” in a Thurston County sting operation, three of whom are active military members based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
If convicted, the child pornography charges could be punishable by up to 20 years, while traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct could net a sentence of up to 30. The case is being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command as part of the South Sound Child Exploitation Task Force.
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