May 16, 2008

Former Portland area Boy Scout leader sentenced on sex charges

PORTLAND, Ore. - A former Boy Scout leader was sentenced today in federal court to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release on charges stemming from his attempts to entice a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl to travel to Oregon to have sex with him, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

James V. Reyes, 47, of Beaverton, Ore., was sentenced on one count of attempting to transport a minor in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity, and one count of using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. While on supervised release, Reyes will be subject to a host of special conditions of supervision, including requirements that he register as a sex offender and participate in sex offender treatment. Reyes was also ordered to pay $1,260 in restitution to the family of the 15-year-old girl.

According to court documents, Reyes engaged in numerous instant message chats and telephone conversations with the girl, during which he discussed having sexual relations with her. Local law enforcement officers in the girl's home state of Massachusetts became aware of Reyes' actions after her father discovered explicit messages between his daughter and Reyes.

In the fall of 2006, Reyes sent the teen an airline ticket to fly from Massachusetts to Oregon. Reyes rented a motel room along the Oregon coast, where he planned to take her to have sex. Reyes was arrested by federal and local law enforcement officers dressed in his Boy Scout uniform when he arrived at Portland International Airport to meet the girl's flight. He had the motel room key in his pocket at the time of his arrest.

"This sentence is a stern reminder of the consequences awaiting those who use the Internet to sexually exploit innocent children," said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of ICE's office of investigations that oversees Oregon. "Some predators mistakenly believe the anonymity of cyberspace shields them from scrutiny, when in fact, their use of computers and the Internet have given us new tools in our enforcement efforts to protect children."

"Because of a parent's vigilance and cooperative efforts between federal and local law enforcement officers in two separate states, a dangerous predator was apprehended before he had the opportunity to sexually abuse a teenage girl," said Karin Immergut, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

On December 12, 2006, a federal grand jury in Portland, Ore., returned an indictment charging Reyes with five separate felony counts in connection with his activities with the girl. He pleaded guilty to two of the most serious charges in January 2008.

The investigation is part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood and ICE's Operation Predator, initiatives targeting those who prey on and exploit children. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Launched in 2003, ICE's Operation Predator has resulted in more than 10,000 arrests since its inception, including more than 300 in Oregon. The public is encouraged to report suspected child predators and suspicious activity suspicious by contacting ICE at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or Operation.Predator@dhs.gov. Additionally, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an ICE partner on Operation Predator, can be contacted at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com.

ICE was joined in this investigation by the sheriff's office in Washington County, Ore., and the police department in Hopkinton, Mass.

-- 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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