JBLM Sergeant Arrested For Child Sex Crimes: US Attorney

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA - Facebook appears to have played a role in the recent arrest of a U.S. Army staff sergeant stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

According to U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran, the social media site directed authorities to a user who was evidently enticing minors to send him sexually explicit images as well as planning to visit the Philippines for the purpose of having sex with underage youth.

Moeun Yoeun, 37, was arrested Wednesday "on a criminal complaint charging him with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact and possession of child pornography," Moran said in a press release.

The investigation into Yoeun's dubious online activity began after Facebook contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to report a user was using multiple accounts to solicit sexually deviant materials from children.

If convicted, Yoeun faces up to 20 years in prison just for the child pornography charge alone. He's looking at an additional 30 years if convicted of the "traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact" charge.

The FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are partnering in the investigation as the South Sound Child Exploitation Task Force.

Yoeun's arrest follows a sting operation in Thurston County that recently resulted in the arrests of three other JBLM-stationed soldiers who were allegedly soliciting local minors for sex:

• Jesse D. Jones, 41
• Lamar A. Smith, 22
• Quenton Parker, 31

Altogether, police arrested 22 individuals between Feb. 15 and 20 who were described as dangerous sexual predators during Operation Net Nanny.

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