Dual citizen arrested in Ucluelet, B.C. for child sexual exploitation charges

Donald Steven Lang, 62, was arrested in Ucluelet, B.C. after a Hawaii indictment for producing sexually explicit images of a minor aboard his sailboat.

Dual citizen nabbed in Ucluelet after Hawaii child exploitation indictment

A 62-year-old dual U.S.-Canadian citizen was arrested in Ucluelet, British Columbia, on Saturday after being indicted in Hawaii on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, Global News Crime reports.

Donald Steven Lang was located by police through a joint investigation that tracked his 52-foot sailboat, the Ishi, to the Vancouver Island community. He was taken into custody without incident.

According to court documents, Lang produced sexually explicit images of a minor between September 2024 and December 2024 aboard the vessel. The U.S. Department of Justice describes him as an amateur sailor known to travel internationally, with Hawaii among his frequent ports of call.

Lang also faces separate charges stemming from an earlier Idaho indictment related to the alleged sexual assault of a minor between 2003 and 2007.

"Protecting children from sexual predators is a priority of the highest order," Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement. "We will continue to pursue this alleged offender and work with our law enforcement partners to return him to the United States to face trial for the crimes he is charged with committing."

If convicted on the Hawaii charges, Lang faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years, along with a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term ranging from five years to lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

An indictment is an allegation only. Lang is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: Global News Crime