Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Child in the Philippines

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a child in the Philippines.

DONALD SCOTT COLEMAN, 64, of Elgin, repeatedly sexually assaulted the child while visiting the child’s mother in the Philippines in the fall of 2012.  Coleman met the mother online and had visited and stayed with her and the child in the Philippines on several occasions.

A federal grand jury in Chicago indicted Coleman on a charge of traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and he pleaded guilty to the offense last year.  U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber imposed the sentence Thursday in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Elgin Police Department and the Philippine National Police.

“Other U.S. citizens considering traveling to foreign countries to engage in sexual activity with minors need to understand that if they engage in such conduct, it will not go unnoticed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika L. Csicsila argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “It will not be tolerated.  Rather, it will be met with swift and significant punishment by our criminal justice system.”

The investigation revealed that Coleman knew and, at times, cared for the child during visits to the Philippines from 2009 to 2012 to see the child’s mother.  Coleman repeatedly assaulted the victim during a multiple-month visit in the fall of 2012.  The victim suffered severe emotional and physical harm as a result of Coleman’s conduct.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.