HARRISBURG, Pa. – Stephen Chang, 27, from Los Angeles, California was arrested at Harrisburg International Airport on Saturday, and charged with three counts of travel with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct involving a 14 year old Lancaster County girl.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Chang allegedly began communicating with a minor female when she was only 13 years old. The communications began in August 2014 and continued until the day of his arrest. During these conversations, Chang enticed the juvenile to produce and send sexual exploitative images. Chang also traveled from Los Angeles, California to Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, on December 12, 2014, October 1, 2015 and on Saturday March 4, to engage in sexual conduct with the minor.
On January 29, police were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in a CyberTipline report about Facebook communications between the minor residing in Elizabethtown, and an adult male in California, later identified as Stephen Chang.
Chang appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab this morning for his initial appearance and preliminary hearing. Judge Schwab found probable cause to conclude that Chang traveled to Pennsylvania to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. Chang was ordered temporarily detained pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for Thursday, March 10.
Lancaster County Detective George Bonilla filed additional charges of Aggravated Indecent Assault, Unlawful Contact with a Minor, and Corruption of Minors, regarding crimes prior to Friday.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the Elizabethtown Police Department, the Northwest Regional Police Department, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office and the Harrisburg International Airport Police.
If you have any information related to this case or believe you or someone you know may be a victim, you are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (71) 232-8686.
