Honduras Jails U.S. Citizen Over Child Pornography Charges

A U.S. citizen named Gary Lee Johnston was arrested in the Caribbean Island resort of Roatan in Honduras last August 29. Upon his arrest, Honduran police found a missing 12-year-old girl semi-clothed in his apartment. This led to police charging him with not just child pornography but also investigating him for human trafficking.

According to the Associated Press, Honduran Police have been looking for a missing young woman named Angie Peña, which led them to search Johnston's apartment. However, they instead found the 12-year-old girl.

Spanish language news agency Telemetro reported a judge has ordered preventive detention for the American as the investigations around his case proceed.

FBI Informed Authorities in Honduras About Johnston's Child Pornography Activities

Honduras Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva spoke to the press on Wednesday and talked about the U.S. citizen's arrest. She stated that there has been "overwhelming witness, documental and technological evidence" against Johnston, showing that he is, indeed, connected to the crimes he is accused of.

Deputy Minister Villanueva also confirmed that there had been alerts from the FBI that Johnston not only consumed child pornography but produced them as well. However, she stated that Johnston did not act alone but is part of an international network they are also investigating.

Johnston is believed to have been staying in Roatan for around six years. He also owns a condominium building there but kept a low profile as he is not widely known in the community.

Detained U.S. Citizen Tied to Case of Missing College Student Angie Peña

Angie Peña is a 23-year-old university student who suddenly went missing while riding a jet ski on January 1 around the Caribbean resort island of Roatan. The Tico Times reported that her life jacket and her jet ski were found on a beach days later, with some of her belongings also washing up on a beach in Belize.

It is believed that Johnston had something to do with her disappearance, so even though police did not find her in his apartment, they still gathered data inside his apartment to potentially find out where she is.

Authorities in Honduras, as well as her family, still believe she is alive and that she was kidnapped on New Year's Day. Unfortunately, Villanueva admitted that while alive, she may be sexually exploited.

Security Minister Ramon Sabillon also spoke at a press conference and talked about Angie's case. He told the media that they are collecting and gathering a lot of data on the potential crime scenes, including the American's apartment, in the hopes of recovering the college student alive.

Police spokesman Miguel Martinez stated that the raid on Johnston's apartment has yielded videos and cellphones that link him to Angie Peña's disappearance. In addition, he added that the police are also "investigating individuals who engage in sex tourism."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Child Sexual Abuse a Growing Problem in Honduras - TeleSur English