On August 22, Ucluelet RCMP received notification from Federal Policing – Pacific Region (Drugs and Organized Crime), in collaboration with the FBI, of a BOLO (Be on the lookout) alert for a sailing vessel associated to Donald Steven Lang.
Lang, 62, is wanted by the FBI for Lewd Conduct with a Minor (three counts) and Sexual Battery of a Minor, according to the BC RCMP.
Through investigative techniques and intelligence sharing, the Vancouver Island District General Investigation Section, West Coast Marine, Ucluelet RCMP and the Island District Emergency Response Team located the vessel and arrested Mr. Lang without incident, said the BC RCMP.
“The partnership between Canadian and U.S. authorities has been key to obtaining a provisional arrest warrant for Mr. Lang and bring him before justice” said Corporal Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for the RCMP in British Columbia.
In an Aug. 25 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, FBI Criminal Assistant Director Heith Janke stated: “Donald Lang has been accused by multiple victims of committing sexual abuse of a minor. Lang’s apprehension was the direct result of the collaboration of the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Pacific Region.”
FBI Honolulu is investigating the case, according to the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ).
The department stated: “Lang's apprehension was the direct result of the cooperation of the FBI and RCMP's Tofino General Duty, Island District GIS, Nanaimo Detachment, and Island District ERT. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the apprehension.”
According to court documents, Lang produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lang is accused of producing the images between September and December 2024 aboard his 52-foot sailboat, the Ishi. Lang is an amateur sailor who is known to venture around the world and frequently harbored in Hawaii, said the U.S. DOJ.
If convicted, the U.S. DOJ said Lang faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He also faces a penalty of between five years of supervised release and lifetime supervised release, along with a fine of up to $250,000, said the U.S. DOJ. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence upon conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Anyone with information regarding this case may contact the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office at (808) 426-2534, the FBI’s Toll-Free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
