Arkansas Man Arrested And Detained For Traveling To Colorado With The Intent To Engage In Illicit Sexual Conduct With Children

DENVER – Donnie Waldo, Jr., age 47, of Dover, Arkansas, appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court this morning for a detention hearing, following his recent arrest for aggravated sexual abuse with children, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and attempted coercion and enticement of minors, U.S. Attorney John Walsh and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge John Eisert announced.  Waldo was charged by Criminal Complaint on November 10, 2014.  He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on November 17, 2014.  Today Waldo was ordered held without bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Watanabe, after making a determination that the defendant was a danger to the community and a risk of flight.

According to the affidavit in support of the Criminal Complaint, as well as the indictment, starting in October of 2014, an undercover HSI agent initiated an investigation targeting individuals using a specific website to sexually exploit children.  The free website allows users to create profiles and post pornographic videos and pictures based on their sexual interests.  The website included groups called “incest,” “jailbait” and “teen”.  Members can post advertisements in the “classified” section seeking to meet members with the same sexual interests, such as incest and rape. 

During the course of the investigation the undercover agent came across an advertisement on the website, which stated: “I am a 47 year old man I am 6’3” tall weight 220 lbs at the present time I am married but me and my wife cant have children together I am interested in finding a woman to have an incest relationship with I want to start an incest family with a nice woman who is seeking the same thing I want a woman who is interested in me breeding her if this is you then lets talk” (sic).

On October 2, 2014, an undercover HSI agent working in an online undercover capacity in Greeley as a single mother with two young daughters responded to the advertisement.  The undercover agent in the single mother persona and the target conducted numerous chats online – mostly involving the prospect of him having a sexual relationship with the undercover agent’s persona and her two daughters, ages 10 and 14.  During one of the chats, the target allegedly stated that he wanted a “very open relationship . . . openly having sex with you (the single mother persona) and both daughters” and further discussed that he wanted to impregnate the single mother’s persona and both daughters. 

Further investigation revealed that the ad was posted by Arkansas resident Donnie Waldo.  Waldo made arrangements with the single mother persona to travel to Denver to meet and engage in sexual relations with the mother and her two daughters.  On November 6, 2014, Waldo boarded a flight from Little Rock, Arkansas to Atlanta.  In Atlanta, he boarded a flight to Denver, where he was arrested by HSI agents.

“Preventing sexual predators from using the internet to prey on children is a crucial priority for law enforcement and for the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh.  “This defendant was ordered held without bond because of the gravity of the pending charges.”

“Anyone who travels a thousands of miles across state lines to have sex with a minor is every parent’s worst nightmare,” said John Eisert, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Denver.  “Our HSI agents work aggressively to find these predators and pursue prosecution with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

If convicted of aggravated sexual abuse with children, the defendant faces not less than 30 years, and not more than life imprisonment.  If convicted of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces not more than 30 years in federal prison.  If convicted of attempted coercion and enticement, the defendant faces not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison for each of the two counts.  Each count also carries a penalty of up to a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by ICE HSI.  The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."