A California man has been federally charged with traveling with the intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
Stephen Chang, age 27, from Los Angeles, California, was arrested at the Harrisburg International Airport on Saturday, March 5, 2016, and charged with three counts of travel with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Chang allegedly began communicating with a minor female when she was only 13 years old. The communications began in August 2014 and continued until the day of his arrest.
During these conversations, Chang enticed the juvenile to produce and send sexual exploitative images. Chang also traveled from Los Angeles, California to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania on December 12, 2014, October 1, 2015, and March 4, 2016, to engage in sexual conduct with the minor.
On January 29, 2016, police were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in a CyberTipline report about Facebook communications between the minor residing in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and an adult male in California, later identified as Stephen Chang.
Chang appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab today for his initial appearance and preliminary hearing. Judge Schwab found probable cause to conclude that Chang traveled to Pennsylvania to engage in sexual conduct with a minor.
Chang was ordered temporarily detained pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for March 10, 2016. The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is 30 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
Related Federal Cases
- Stephen Chang, Traveling to Engage in Criminal Sexual Conduct, Pennsylvania 2016 · California
- Renad Bautista, Travel With Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, Pennsylvania 2019 · Colorado
- Edward Decker, Abusive Sexual Contact, Pennsylvania 2022 · Idaho
- Nicholas Sittig, Sexual Exploitation and Obstruction of Justice, Pennsylvania 2025 · Pennsylvania
- Edward Decker, Abusive Sexual Contact, Pennsylvania 2024 · Idaho
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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