A former Ohio seminary student was arrested for his believed intention to fly to Mexico to have sex with a toddler or baby. 23 year-old Joel Wright was caught after he got off a plane at San Diego International Airport.
As reported by Turn to 10, Wright was arrested by the Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) following long investigation pertaining to Wright's desire to have a female child with an intention to perform sexual acts with her.
A tip reached the authorities in November about an advertisement on wanting to adopt a child in Tijuana, Mexico. The ad was posted by Wright in advertisement website, Craigslist. According to The Elkhart Truth, emails of Wright to an undercover agent posing as a travel guide stated that he wanted to adopt or purchase a 3 year-old or under female child to have sex with her.
The tipster revealed that negotiations with Wright began in 2014, the year which he also travelled to Tijuana, Mexico to meet him and in hopes to get a child. The authorities claim that money was also given to the tipster as adoption fee.
The tipster assured Wright that they will be accompanied with a child during its return, however, the tipster decided to take the money and not come back. Wright was arrested on January 29. According to NBC41, Wright was previously a seminarian at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, but has since been expelled after he left the seminary without authorization.
Furthermore, the Diocese of Steubenville also released a statement saying that Wright has been suspended by Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton after hearing the allegations connected to him in accord wit the diocesan child protection decree.
A special agent from HIS San Diego, Dave Shaw, also stated that Wright's arrest was a warning to those who are attempting to commit illegal acts outside of the US with the idea that they will not be punished.
"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", Shaw stated.
Prosecution for Wright's case has begun at the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. He is expected to be arraigned on Monday.
