West Allis Man Makes Initial Appearance on Charges of traveling in foreign Commerce and Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct

Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced on July 15, 2019 that Donald A. Stenson, age 63, of West Allis, WI, was arraigned in federal court in Milwaukee on an indictment returned July 9, 2019. Stenson is charged with traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place between 2016 and 2019. He was arrested on Friday July 12, 2019 at his West Allis residence.

The indictment charges that Stenson engaged in four counts of traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct as well as four counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Stenson resides in Thailand, but the sex acts occurred in the Philippines. Stenson appeared before U.S. District Court Judge David E. Jones. The court finds that his ties outside of our country and frequent foreign travel make him a flight risk therefore Judge Jones ordered that he be detained.  He set another date for next week Wednesday, July 24

This was a joint investigation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Manila Transnational Criminal Investigation Unit, and Philippine Authorities. The West Allis Police Department assisted in the arrest. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan J. Paulson of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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.justice.gov/psc.

The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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