Man Arrested for Seeking Sexual Relations with Infants
You would think that a man studying to be a priest wouldn’t travel around the country to try to find infants to have sex with. However, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that is exactly what an Ohio student did.
Twenty-three year old, Joel A. Wright had to be taken into custody by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They caught him right outside of baggage claim at the San Diego International Airport. The investigators say that Wright had flown into San Diego with plans of going to Mexico to have sex with at least three babies.
Wright was charged with two felony counts. The accounts were traveling with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor as well as attempting to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country with the southern district of California.
Studying Priest Arrested for Attempting Child Sexual Assault
The young man’s arrest came after months of undercover child sexual exploitation investigation conducted by the HSI special agents. Usually these cases are long, and very slow paced but the reward of catching these criminals outweigh any of the cons.
Wright had posted a Craigslist ad that seemed a bit off. He posted about wanting to adopt an infant. An unidentified man saw the ad and offered to bring Wright a child to him at the Tijuana hotel.
The man of course contacted the HSI special agents, giving them the full details of his communications with Wright.
According to the information provided, Wright had paid the informant an adoption fee upfront and then waited at a hotel in Tijuana. The man told the investigators that he never actually went to the hotel with a child, or otherwise.
According to certain records, Wright did enter into Mexico on July 2014. This is consistent with the informant’s story. The man then said that he made a communication with Wright on July 2015, this was after Wright had posted an ad on Craigslist for a Tijuana guide. At this time, the informant was using a different e-mail.
According to the federal officials, Wright eventually gave up the information that he wanted to have sex with female babies, instead of adopting a child.
Wright’s Sexual Abuse Statement:
I have not gone all the way before but I have made it very close in the past so I do have experience.
He also claimed that “virgin babies are the best”. How sick and scary is that?
Wright also holds onto his religion saying that “Yes I like church-it makes me feel good”. I’m not sure what religion he claims but I’m sure it’s only in his head, religion wouldn’t agree with harming children.
Wright also planned on giving the kids Tylenol and candy to make the three year old child relax.
HSI then took over the e-mail account, with the permission of the informant, and started to mail Wright themselves. Wright of course wasn’t aware that he was speaking with the law enforcement, he still believed that he was chatting with a Mexico based tour guide.
The complaint stated that Wright described in graphic detail what he wanted to do to a baby sexually, he even went as far as to say, “It is so much more fun when it’s a bit of a struggle”.
The investigators continued to talk with Wright via e-mail. Wright continued to run his mouth about his sick plans. He told the agent that he wanted to travel Tijuana to find a child to adopt or own a child under three years old to have sex with that child.
Wright didn’t waste much time, he then booked his flight to San Diego where he had thought he was meeting the tour guide. The plans were to meet at the hotel in San Diego and then travel to a Tijuana hotel so that he could buy female infants.
Dave Shaw, HSI Agent’s Statement:
This investigation opens a window into a secret world where sexual predators prey on young children around the globe. Pedophiles who mistakenly believe they can escape justice by committing child sex crimes outside the U.S. should be on notice that HSI will seek to vindicate the rights of those victims regardless where they live. Fortunately, in this instance, our perseverance and diligence prevented the sexual exploitation of yet another innocent victim.
Wright seemed to be a normal pre-theology student. He was immediately suspended from his studies after the charges though.
Mother Fights for Son Who Was Sexually Abused
A mother from Texas is understandably angry that very little is being done about her eight year old son being sexually abused on a school bus by two other eight year old boys.
The young boy is only a first grader at the Northbrook Elementary school in Fort Worth. She said that her young son was just simply riding the school bus to school on a Thursday morning, when two other eight year old boys pulled down his pants and performed a sexual act. They then beat him up.
The Mother’s Statement About her Sexual Assaulted Son:
This is a scrape mark from when he was punched and kicked in the stomach. They said, ‘Tell anybody, and I’ll hurt you again, and you’ll be in trouble, too.’
The mother has said that her son has been complaining about being bullied lately. She however, had no idea it would get this serious. The mother claims that this bullying as escalated into “full-blown sexual assault”.
A spokesman, Sgt. Steve Enright from the Fort Worth police department, confirmed that there is an investigation starting. However, if the two boys are just eight years old, there’s very little that the police can do.
Legal wise, any child under ten years of age, can not have criminal charges against them.
The Mother’s Statement:
Where is the magic line? That is the question. And what is the degree of crime that they can commit before they say, ‘You know what? Maybe you do need some sort of court intervention.
The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District’s Statement:
As soon as school and district personnel were made aware of the report, we responded immediately and have put every measure into place that we legally can to protect and support those involved in this matter.
The school has designated an adult monitor to the bus route. The spokeswoman for the school has not and will not comment on the actions taken against the two boys at this time. The mother of the victim wants the boys expelled.
Mother’s Statement:
My son is now going to have to go to a school where his attackers are going to be, and that’s not fair with him being the victim.
Child Protective Services have also been investigating this incident.
Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
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