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.