Octogenarian sex tourist jailed
A former country singer and businessman now in his eighties has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for attempting to travel to the Philippines to have sex with children.
Wheelchair-bound John Seljan was caught at Los Angeles international airport with child pornography, sex aids, and sexually explicit letters to two girls aged nine and 12, in his bags, the BBC reported.
He is the first person convicted under America’s Protect Act, aimed at curbing sex tourism. A judge found him guilty of “attempting to travel internationally with the intent of engaging in illegal sexual conduct with a minor”.
US Federal Judge Alicemarie Stotler told the court in Santa Ana, California that under the law, the sentence could have been longer, but that 20 years was appropriate. “When you’re 87-years-old, it is tantamount to a life sentence,” she said. Seljan was caught when a letter he sent to one of the children by courier in 2003 was randomly opened for inspection. An agent noticed it was intended for a child despite its sexual nature and reported the case to his superiors.
Report by News From Abroad
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