SANTA MONICA —On May 14, a 75-year-old man accused of traveling to Cambodia to lure young boys into sexual acts has pleaded guilty to federal “sex tourism” charges.
Jack Louis Sporich, previously a resident of Santa Monica, (and now of Sedona, Ariz.), entered the plea in a plea agreement that requires him to pay $30,000 to the two 12-year-old boys he reportedly victimized, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office. The money will be used to help pay for the children’s educations.
Sporich had been removed from Cambodia the previous year to be charged under an international law that protects children from being sexually exploited. Sporich faced charges related to an operation dubbed “Twisted Traveler,” an ongoing effort conducted by the Department of Justice and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intended to identify and prosecute “sex tourists” who travel to Cambodia to engage in unlawful sexual practices with children.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, Sporich sexually abused at least one Cambodian boy after he arrived in the Southeast Asian country in November, 2008. The case affidavit indicates that according to witness reports, the defendant would frequently drive his motor bike through the streets of the city of Siem Riep, where he dropped Cambodian currency as a ruse to entice the children.
Sporich is slated to appear for his sentencing in August 2.
