Marriage fraud suspect is accused in child porn
Further allegations also are revealed at the teacher's hearing
Federal agents were investigating allegations that a Radford High School teacher charged in a marriage fraud scheme was involved in child pornography and exploitation through an international student exchange program, prosecutors say.
The State Department and immigration and customs agents are still investigating the allegations by the resident agent at the American Embassy in Beijing, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Hino.
The allegations were revealed at a bail hearing yesterday for 64-year-old Bob Loren, who is accused of conspiring with others to commit marriage fraud to enable his Chinese lover to remain in the United States.
Defense attorney Jerry Wilson objected to conditions imposed by the court yesterday that prohibit Loren from contact with minors or employment by any day care or school. Court officials with the pretrial services office made the recommendations based on information furnished by the government that alleged Loren was involved in suspected illegal activity as early as last August.
The alleged marriage fraud scheme was uncovered after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents here interviewed the resident manager at Loren's previous Crosspointe residence, then conducted 48-hour surveillance of Loren's Salt Lake home.
During the 24 hours, agents saw only Loren and his 20-year-old lover Hang Duan of China entering and exiting the Likini Street home, prosecutors say. The agents never saw Duan's purported wife, Shara Padello, 21.
Later, during interviews with federal agents in connection with the marriage fraud allegations, Loren initially said that Duan had the maturity of a 14- or 15-year-old. He later changed his statement, saying Duan was more like a 12-year-old.
Hino cited additional information uncovered by agents during their investigation. They found written contracts signed by Loren in which Duan was to forgive a debt of several thousand dollars if Loren could secure him a wife.
Also found at Loren's Salt Lake apartment was a letter Loren had sent to a friend allegedly telling him about a wife he had purchased for a Filipino male living with him at the time -- and admitting he had done something similar before, Hino said.
A review of immigration records indicated that Loren used a fiancee visa to bring a Russian woman into the United Sates. The woman lived here for about a year before she fled to Canada, claiming refugee status, Hino said.
Loren also was married to a Japan national for less than a year. A review of passport records provided by the State Department revealed that Loren had been issued six passports in the last 20 years, ostensibly because he had lost previous ones. Passports are usually good for 10 years.
On the most current passport application he submitted, from Costa Rica, Loren indicated that his former wife was deceased, when in fact she was going through naturalization proceedings in Honolulu, Hino said.
Wilson could not be reached for comment.
Loren and Duan were indicted last week for conspiracy. Duan and Padello also were charged with marriage and visa fraud. Padello and her mother, Julia Bivit-Padello of Waianae, were also charged with conspiracy.
Under a contract that Loren allegedly helped draft, Duan agreed to pay Padello $1,000 to marry and an additional $5,000 after he obtained permanent residency. The couple were married on Aug. 22. They later admitted they had never consummated the marriage or lived together, prosecutors said.