SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A man from Washington State allegedly drove 10 hours to Utah with the sole intent to sexually assault a 5-year-old child, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Samuel Fukuyama, 30, of Pasco, Wash., has been charged on Friday, May 5, with two first-degree felony counts of attempted rape of a child. He is currently being held without bail.
Fukuyama was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security last month while an undercover agent was working with the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The agent went undercover online as a 26-year-old single father with a 5-year-old son.
“This is a very disturbing case of an attempted crime against a child that was brought to us by Homeland Security Investigations,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “Keeping predators who would exploit the most vulnerable in our community off the streets continues to be our highest priority. We appreciate the work of our partners in law enforcement for their work on this case.”
According to charging documents, Fukuyama allegedly made contact with the “single father” and the two made plans for Fukuyama to travel to Utah to sexually assault the child. During the conversation, Fukuyama allegedly told the undercover agent he wanted to help “condition” the 5-year-old boy. He also allegedly said he wanted to “antagonize and mess with him mentally.”
At one point, Fukuyama reportedly began to have doubts and that he was nervous it was a setup because “this is what he’s been searching for, for a long time.” Fukuyama allegedly said he needed this to feel complete in life.
Law enforcement said the conversations started on April 1 and they arranged to meet at a predetermined location in Utah on Friday, April 28.
Upon his arrest, police say Fukuyama had on him two bags full of various sex toys, including dildos and bondage devices among others. Fukuyama allegedly admitted to arresting officers he had driven from Washington to have sex with the 5-year-old boy and that he planned to do “horrible things.”
Fukuyama reportedly said he knew based on what he said in the chat with the undercover agent that he was going to go to prison for a long time.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.