The FBI arrested a Chinese national on Tuesday night as part of a sting operation after he allegedly tried to solicit sex from an undercover agent he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.
Qichen Yuan, 31, a Chinese national living legally in Boston, allegedly responded on Saturday to a listing posted on a website commonly used to advertise prostitution, which had been placed as part of an FBI sting operation.
The advertisement featured images of a young female along with a description calling her a “flower ready to blossom.”
Yuan reportedly then texted and called an undercover FBI agent posing as the girl. The agent reportedly told Yuan that she was 15 and would perform sex acts for money.
When Yuan learned that the girl was a minor, he allegedly said, “I love you being young, lol,” and agreed to pay $250 in exchange for sexual acts.
Court documents allege that Yuan arrived at an unspecified meeting location at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and waited outside.
Yuan then reportedly attempted to flee when an unmarked FBI vehicle approached, and he was immediately apprehended. He reportedly had two condoms in his pocket at the time of his arrest.
He faces charges for attempted sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a maximum life sentence and a minimum ten-year sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, along with a possible $250,000 fine.
The Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office did not specify whether Yuan will lose his visa if he is convicted or face deportation.
