U.S. Citizen Indicted in Florida for Traveling to the Philippines for Sex Tourism

U.S. Citizen Indicted in Florida for Traveling to the Philippines for Sex
Tourism

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Donald Mathias, 64, has been
indicted for allegedly traveling to the Philippines in 2007 and 2008 to engage
in sexual conduct with minors, announced Assistant Attorney General of the
Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of Florida Jeffrey H. Sloman.

Mathias, whose last known residence is in the Southern District of Florida,
was arraigned today before Magistrate Judge Barry S. Seltzer in U.S. District
Court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Mathias was charged in an indictment filed on Oct. 27, 2009, with one count of
conspiring to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and
traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual
conduct; six counts of offering to buy a child in order to depict the child in
child pornography; six counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage
in sexual activity; three counts of traveling in foreign commerce for the
purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct; and four counts of engaging in
illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

Mathias allegedly arranged with the mother of two minor females in the
Philippines to travel to the Philippines in April 2007 and December 2007 to
engage in sexual conduct with the minors and did so. Mathias also allegedly
arranged to travel again to the Philippines in December 2008 to engage in
sexual conduct with the minors. However, Philippine authorities received
information about the arrangements and rescued the children before they met
Mathias again.

If convicted, Mathias faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Charges in an indictment are merely accusations and a defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Philippines
Department of Justice. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Anitha
Ibrahim of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marlene Rodriguez of the U.S. Attorney's Office
for the Southern District of Florida.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD,
+1-202-514-1888