An Ashdown, Arkansas, resident has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with traveling in foreign commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b).
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), made the announcement.
According to allegations made in the criminal complaint, Daniel John Pye, 35, originally of Bradenton, Florida, traveled from the Southern District of Florida to Haiti on multiple occasions from the years 2008 through 2011 for the purpose of sexually abusing minors. Pye, who ran a missionary orphanage in Jacmel, Haiti, is alleged to have engaged in illicit sexual conduct with minor female children who resided at his orphanage.
Since leaving Haiti, Pye is believed to have resided in the Liberty Hill, Texas, Texarkana, Texas, and Ashdown, Arkansas, areas.
Law enforcement encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) through the toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI. Mr. Ferrer thanked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Widlanski.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
