California grand juries indict two men accused of touring the globe for sex with children
Federal grand juries in Sacramento and Fresno indicted two men Thursday suspected of traveling internationally to have sex with children, and authorities say one of the men might have hundreds of victims spread across the globe.
“Those who seek to prey upon children can travel across the country and indeed across the world to abuse their victims,” U.S. Attorney Phil Talbert said at a news conference at his Sacramento office to announce the indictments.
“We are committed to bringing to justice those who sexually exploit children in any way,” he said. “Because every child deserves to have a safe childhood free from such abuse..”
A Sacramento grand jury indicted Bradley Earl Reger, 67, a nurse practitioner in Susanville who faces five counts charging that he engaged in illicit sexual activity abroad, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and coercion and enticement.
Possibility of ‘hundreds of victims’ for Reger
He is accused of abusing three minors in Susanville, Nevada, Virginia, Poland and the Phillippines between 2006 and 2014, but authorities say they believe there are many more victims who have yet to come forward.
“We do believe that there are victims spread out across the nation and globally,” Sacramento FBI Special Agent In Charge Sean Ragan said, adding that since Reger’s arrest 40 to 50 potential victims have surfaced. The FBI set up a website for victims immediately after Reger was arrested — fbi.gov/RegerVictims — and asked for potential victims to use it to report their abuse or call 800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
“There could potentially be hundreds of victims,” Ragan said.
Reger has been the subject of child molestation investigations since 1986 and was arrested by the FBI July 6 after investigators suspected him of abusing more than a dozen boys and men in locations around the world, court documents say.
Denmark man accused of flying to Fresno for child sex
In Fresno, a grand jury indicted a 58-year-old man who traveled from his home in Denmark to Fresno after communicating with an undercover agent over the internet and declaring he wanted to have sex with the agent’s 7-year-old daughter, court records say.
Claus Marcuslund faces counts of distribution of child pornography and attempted coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.
He was arrested at the Fresno airport on July 11 after he spent months conversing online with a U.S. Homeland Security Investigations undercover agent posing as the mother of a girl, court documents say.
“He discussed in detail the sexual abuse in which he hoped to engage and which sexual activities he wanted the seven-year-old to perform on him,” a Homeland Security affidavit says. “From April 12, 2023, through April 24, 2023, Marcuslund then sent approximately 12 videos and photos that each depicted at least one minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
Two days before he flew to the United States, he told the agent he had purchased three stuffed animals for the little girl, court documents say, and agents discovered them in his luggage after he was detained.
Authorities would not say Thursday whether they have evidence of Marcusland traveling to the United States in the past for such purposes.
Both suspects remain in custody.
