Missouri man sentenced to 13 years in prison for transporting a minor for sex

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Missouri man was sentenced Monday to 13 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines for illicit sex, announced U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson, Western District of Missouri.

This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Missouri police departments of Cassville and Neosho.

Tong Yang, 46, of Stella, Missouri, was sentenced Sept. 15 by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years in federal prison without parole. Yang pleaded guilty May 1, admitting to traveling to Minnesota to pick up a 15-year-old girl and bring her back to Missouri with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.

Yang had contacted the minor victim a couple of weeks earlier by sending her a friend request on Facebook. Yang talked to her about her coming to live with him in Missouri.  He told her he owned his own business. On Dec. 6, 2013, the minor victim went to her mother's house to retrieve some clothing and while there, she asked Yang to come get her. She snuck out and met with Yang in front of her mother's house the next day and they drove to a hotel in Neosho, where they engaged in unprotected sex.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney, Western District of Missouri, prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted under 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 10,000 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 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

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. 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 and current chair 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.