April 11, 2007

Bay Area man sentenced to more than five years on child sex tourism charges

SAN FRANCISCO - A Bay Area man was sentenced yesterday to 64 months in prison for traveling to Cambodia to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, the result of a multi-agency investigation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and the Cambodian National Police.

Michael John Koklich, 50, pleaded guilty last year to charges that he traveled to Cambodia to engage in sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl. Cambodian authorities arrested Koklich in February 2006. Koklich admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl and paying her $10 to $20 per sexual encounter. He also admitted attempting to bribe witnesses in the case, including the minor female.

Under the plea agreement, Koklich will be required to pay restitution to two minor female victims totalling $10,000. In addition, he will be placed on supervised release for 5 years following his prison term and will be required to register as a sex offender.

ICE's investigation into Koklich began after the Cambodian National Police (CNP) and Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a non-government organization based in Cambodia, contacted ICE regarding the Bay Area man's activities. CNP and APLE investigators interviewed two Cambodian minors as they left Koklich's apartment February 17, 2006. Subsequently, Cambodian authorities arrested Koklich on local charges of debauchery. Koklich was expelled by the Cambodian government and released to U.S. authorities April 26, 2006.

"This case serves as a strong reminder that any abuse of children by American citizens is a crime that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Charles DeMore, special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in San Francisco. "Some pedophiles mistakenly believe they can escape detection and prosecution by committing child sex crimes overseas. As this case shows, ICE is using all of its law enforcement authorities to combat this heinous behavior both here and abroad."

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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