Coachella Valley high school teacher charged in child sexual exploitation probe

EL CENTRO, Calif. – A 59-year-old Coachella Valley high school teacher is facing felony state child sexual exploitation charges for allegedly contacting a minor under the age of 14 with the intent to commit sexual and lewd offenses.

Anthony Robert Korwin, of Vista, was taken into custody June 5 during an undercover operation conducted by the Imperial Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (IV-ICAC). The probe was initiated by the Task Force in response to a Craigslist ad posted online. During the investigation, Korwin allegedly agreed to meet a 13-year-old girl at a parking lot in El Centro. When Korwin arrived at the location, he was taken into custody by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Task Force officers.

At his arraignment in superior court June 7, Korwin pleaded not guilty to two felony counts involving child sex offenses. Korwin’s bail has been set at $250,000. His next court hearing is June 21 in Imperial County Superior Court.

This case is the product of HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page. HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.