Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that, Joseul Sanchez Usana, age 29, from Yigo, Guam, was sentenced to 120-months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Court also ordered Usana to serve five years of supervised release, comply with sex offender registration requirements, and pay a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
In May of 2024, Air Force Office of Special Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted a joint undercover operation to identify and target individuals who were seeking to contact and engage in sexual activity with minor children. Agents created multiple personas on several social networking applications and posted in online forums.
On May 30, 2024, Josuel Sanchez Usana, a civilian employee of a military contractor with access to Andersen Air Force Base, contacted the undercover persona. Within the first few messages, the undercover persona said that she was 14 years old and still in school. Despite being told multiple times that the undercover persona was underage, Usana continued to communicate with the undercover persona, including conversations related to sex. Usana indicated that he wanted to have sex with the underage undercover persona, describing his plan in detail. Usana agreed to meet the undercover persona at the Andersen Air Force Base front gate for this purpose. Investigators him at that location upon his arrival.
“This case is another reminder of the risks to children in our islands,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Parents must remain vigilant against the dangers of online activity in their homes. Innocuous messaging can quickly develop into harmful physical contact. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and combat these threats.”
The investigation was conducted by Air Force Office of Special Investigation Detachment 602 and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg prosecuted the case in the District of the Guam.
This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.