MIAMI – U.S. Marshals tracked a Florida man who was wanted for possession of child pornography all the way to Belize, where it remains legal to have sex with girls as young as 16.
Robert Andrew Ragin was arrested Jan. 16 in Dangriga, a town on the Caribbean coast in southern Belize, where he had been living for about six months. He appeared in front of a judge in Belize Jan. 19.
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After the extradition order, authorities in Belize handed him over to U.S. authorities. He arrived to Miami International Airport Jan. 23, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported.
Ragin, 54, was taken to Brevard County, where he had an outstanding warrant on 12 counts of promoting sexual performances of a child.
Belize remains a popular destination for child pornographers, the U.S. Department of Justice reported. It remains a federal crime for U.S. citizens to travel to other countries to have sex with children even when it's legal in the country they are traveling to.
Last year, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents tracked Thomas A. Donahue, 45, who was also hiding in Belize. He was wanted for producing, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Authorities also arrested David Wendel Thompson, 48, a teacher who was on his way to Belize to have sex with two teenage girls. He traveled to the country about 10 times since 2011, authorities said.
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