MIGRA NEWS: ICE seeks public’s help to identify potential additional victims of Arkansas man

FORT SMITH, Ark. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seeks the public’s help in identifying additional victims of an Arkansas man indicted on felony cyber stalking charges in the Western District of Arkansas for sending numerous unprovoked lewd messages and videos to females across the United States.

Steven Lesmeister, 38, of Harrison, was indicted June 4 on three federal felony charges for sending unprovoked lewd messages and videos to juvenile females in Virginia, New York and North Carolina in September 2014. According to HSI investigators, Lesmeister used the fictitious Facebook profiles ofSarhhaarra Lonelygirl Henxdrixx and Chloe Jane Wilson to friend teenage girls across the United States, and then after obtaining their phone numbers and/or email addresses he sent them numerous messages and videos of himself. 

HSI special agents, the Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Harrison Police Department have reason to believe Lesmeister may have contacted numerous other victims who may be reluctant to come forward due to the content of the messages and videos.

HSI requests that anyone who has been contacted by Lesmeister through social media, and received unprovoked text messages and/or videos please contact the agency immediately by calling the 24-hour HSI Tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. You can also submit an online tip at www.ice.gov/tips/ or by downloading the Operation Predator smartphone app and submitting a tip via the app. All tips will remain anonymous.

This investigation is being conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predatorsmartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.