FBI agents say Pittsfield Township man drove to New York to have sex with minor
A Pittsfield Township man is being held without bond after FBI agents say he drove last month to upstate New York and had sex with a 14-year-old girl he met in an online chat room.
Muchamad Syaugy Ali Syech, 33, was arrested Wednesday, charged in a federal criminal complaint with interstate travel to engage in sexual relations with a minor, online coercion and enticement of a minor, transferring of obscene material to a minor and production of child pornography.
He is facing extradition to New York and is scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. today in federal court in Detroit for a detention and removal hearing.
According to an affidavit supporting the complaint by FBI Special Agent David Fallon, Ali Syech posed online as a 17-year-old and had sex with the girl on March 5 at a hotel in North Greenbrush, N.Y., near Albany.
Twelve days later, the affidavit says, the girl sent him a text message, telling him "she thought she might be pregnant." The two exchanged texts, the affidavit says, and "discussed what to do about her pregnancy."
It's unclear how authorities became involved, but the alleged victim was interviewed twice by New York State Police Investigator Melissa Noll.
On March 28, the affidavit says, Michigan State Police conducted surveillance at Ali Syech’s home on Fenview Drive in Pittsfield Township, where he lives with his wife. Investigators say they spotted a Mercury Mountaineer in the driveway that had the same license plate as one that was parked at the hotel on March 5.
On Wednesday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at his home and seized several computers, two cell phones, a camera, video camera and other items, records show. Court documents say agents also executed search warrants on the Mountaineer he allegedly drove to the hotel and a cell phone he allegedly used to call the girl.
Ali Syech made his first appearance Wednesday in federal court in Detroit, when U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan ordered that he be temporarily detained.
His attorney, Doraid Elder, could not be reached for comment. Records show Ali Syech is a citizen of Indonesia who is in the United States while his wife attends graduate school at the University of Michigan.
The chat room
According to the affidavit, the victim told Investigator Noll that Ali Syech started chatting with her over AOL Instant Messenger in November 2009 in the chat room "home alone." He went by "Sam" and "Syaugy," and told the girl he was 17 after learning she was in middle school, the affidavit says.
He asked her questions, including whether she was a virgin, the affidavit says. Initially, she told him she was in the 8th grade and wasn't a virgin, but later acknowledged that she was in the 7th grade and was a virgin, the affidavit says. She told him she was about to turn 13.
Ali Syech said "he was happy that she told him the truth" and that “being 13 is what made him fall in love with her," the affidavit says. She sent him a picture of her face, investigators say.
In August 2010, the affidavit says, Ali Syech used his cell phone to send her a picture of his genitals and asked for a photograph of hers. She sent him a picture of her genitals from her cell phone and sent him another photograph of her naked two months later, the affidavit says.
A trip to New York
According to the affidavit, Ali Syech called the girl on Feb. 22 and they agreed to meet on March 5. Ali Syech said he was coming to the Albany area from Michigan to "make love" to her, the affidavit says.
At 3 a.m. March 5, documents say, Ali Syech parked near her house in a small town outside Albany and she met him outside. Roughly two hours later, they checked into a Holiday Inn Express in North Greenbrush, the affidavit says. After they watched some television in their room, the affidavit says, Ali Syech took out a camera and told the girl that he wanted to take photographs of her.
Investigators say Ali Syech photographed her while she had her clothes on. He later had sex with her, the affidavit says.
Roughly four hours after they checked into the hotel, the girl asked him to take her home, the affidavit says. Records show Ali Syech allegedly used the GPS on his cell phone to help find his way to and from the hotel.
According to the affidavit, Ali Syech dropped the girl off at the end of her road, calling her as she neared her driveway to ask whether she was OK. She called him after she got inside, the affidavit says, when he told her "he was driving back to Michigan and would try to see her again." He said he might return to Indonesia for a while for work, the affidavit says.
Ali Syech was charged about a month later out of the Northern District of New York.
If convicted of interstate travel to engage in sexual relations with a minor, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
RJA
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:50 a.m.
Oh Parents, please watch your kids on face-book. I know of a 12 year old, that used 1992 as her birtdate. I confronted her grandmother about this, and come to find out, she was on her computer when she was away from home a few hours that day. It is so sad that parents and grandparents don't have control. (or don't use control) Lock it up! (or take it with you).
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 5:59 p.m.
From a journalism perspective, I would have held off on publishing the story until contacting the investigating precinct and receiving details about how the investigation came about. Also, perhaps publishing the entire contents of the complaint was a bit much. As for speculating on the penalty someone should receive for this kind of behavior, I agree that a prison sentence is appropriate, as is subsequent deportation. Thirty years seems like far, far too much time unless there was violence involved (i.e., this would meet the rape standard if she were of age).
visiongirl
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 4:33 p.m.
This is totally disgusting and very sad and I hope this person time plus deportation. I also think this is good example of how parents really need to step up and really be involved in their child's online and cellphone activities. If you kids have cellphones, you need to check the text records. Don't just check the phone because they can delete certain text, but get the transcripts from cellphone provider. At this age, your child is dumb and is probably engaging in dumb activities becuase they are trying to figure out life. Then the mess around and get involve with child predators. Therefore, parents, you need to be on top of things. They don't need nor deserve any privacy unless they can afford their own place. If they are online in chat rooms, check this activity too. Just think, if this girl's parents where checking in on her from time to time, perhaps this would not have occurred. I am really happy she made it out of this situation alive, becuase unfortunately....this is not the case! Please...do not let this happen to your child because it could end up DEADLY!
drut_ferguson
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 4:10 p.m.
The real question here is why is this guy still using AOL? Is he looking up porn on Netscape Navigator too? Is he searching for victims on Ask Jeeves?
smokeblwr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:57 p.m.
Somebody made the point that he isn't a citizen and how that might factor into the case....I also wonder if he might claim he didn't know of the law as perhaps this is common in other countries such as Indonesia. In short, perhaps he will use the George Costanza defense when confronted with indisputable evidence of sexual malfeasance: "Was that wrong? Should I not have done that because I gotta tell you, I have to plead ignorance on this one!"
bunnyabbot
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
I also don't think that all this detail needed to be included in the article.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:27 p.m.
I think this was an important article to post. In the past, there have been discussions about "stings" and a lot of people decided that 'it never happens anyway, why are we wasting time and energy on this'. This article prooves that these crimes DO occur and that knowledge should frame further discussions on the matter. Beyond that, I need to follow the rice man's lead and pre-moderate my name calling and discussions of specific penalties, while of course acknowledging that we are all innocent until proven guilty and the true story will come out at the trial.
rs
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:24 p.m.
Lets hope the prosecutors in New York have a little more initiative to go after serious criminals than the prosecutors here in Washtenaw. I'm glad this is going back to the New York court system because he would probably had it plea bargained down to 3rd degree child endangerment here.
KMHall
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.
To BigMike: I share some of your sentiments but hope that the article might help to keep parents alert. How could someone like Syech have been "helped" with his problems before hurting a child? I guess he'll be "helped" now, after the fact. Let him be an example to deter others? Maybe the article will make them feel that there is a good chance of getting caught. I'm not too hopeful, however. This is a sad glimpse into some of human nature's variety. Yuk.
gladys
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 2:57 p.m.
Because it can't be said often enough: monitor what your kids are doing online! Put the computer in a family area and check it periodically to see where your kids are going. Talk to your kids and grandkids about predators in chat rooms.
Garrett
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 2:13 p.m.
@bill Really?! 30 years in prison is not enough? What would you have? Death? I think some of the problem is knowledge of these laws. I think any rational 30-something person, if they knew there was the possibility of getting 30 years in prison for having sex with an underage individual, wouldn't do it. I read this and was shocked it was 30 years. I know that's the maximum, and I know that he probably won't get it, but it seems a bit excessive. Most murderers are in jail for at most 20 years.
Wolf's Bane
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
Just another comment: I think the biggest issue that I have with these types of crimes, that of fully functioning adults taking advantage of our most defenseless citizens. It is sickening.
Ricebrnr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
Garrett, I did not think you were excusing the alleged actions here. I only indicated that forethought has never been a deterrent for many regardless of consequences. One may not like the possible sentencing compared to other "graver" actions. If that is the case then one needs to take that up with their legislators. In the meantime, the laws are what they are. I may not like that I can only carry a folding pocket knife shorter than 3". I may not like that I can't have a switch blade, but I still don't carry my nearly 5" pocket sword but that's the law... The time to protest the law is not after I have broken it.
Garrett
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
Ricebrnr Nowhere in my post do I excuse what he did. My point was that when you hear about murderers and violent rapists getting 20 years in prison, having sex with someone a few years your junior doesn't seem to warrant 30 years in prison. I'm willing to bet if you polled people on this question next to no one would suspect you'd get such a harsh prison term.
Marshall Applewhite
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
I agree. 30 years is a long time for an act that wasn't violent. Although the law doesn't distinguish one from the other, I see this as less harmful than a forcible rape where the victim has obviously not consented(although 14 is too young to legally consent)
Ricebrnr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
Wait what?!?!? Robbery, murder, rape etc can all have high sentences and yet people continue to break those laws. People who rationalize that their wants supercede any consideration for you. Ignorance of the law is not the excuse here.
Craig Lounsbury
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 2:03 p.m.
Its a tough call on what importance the guys wife has to the story. The fact that he is NOT an American citizen certainly raises the reasonable question of how he came to be in this country. So I would say unfortunately she is legitimate "collateral damage" to the story.
pegret
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
I agree that the information about this man's wife was completely unnecessary. It sounds like the poor woman has enough to deal with.
Ricebrnr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 1:32 p.m.
Premoderating my own comment. Feel free to use your imagination....
Ricebrnr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
I plead the 5th...;)
Craig Lounsbury
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
Using my imagination I think what you meant to say was..... A comment that violated AnnArbor.com's conversation guidelines was removed. :)
Wolf's Bane
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 1 p.m.
I really believe that our current laws don't do enough to deter these type of criminal acts. It is a real shame both for the victim and the rapist. Both, will suffer greatly due to this experience.
paxsolace
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 12:32 p.m.
What is wrong with you? Did you have to give any information about the wife? Isn't she suffering enough already? Why is it that you have to sensationalize tragedies like this? Did the wife commit a crime? Heartless, simply heartless!
BigMike
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
I have very mixed feelings about whether this article should even have been written. Is it in the public interest to deliver that much salacious detail about a statutory rape? I think not.
Craig Lounsbury
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
It reads like the authorities are compiling some impressive evidence. If he's guilty we should deport him back to Indonesia after he does his "up to 30 years in prison." If he's guilty. If he's guilty and goes to prison and gets one of those prison jobs we should garnish his wages to pay for the plane ticket home when hi is 63 years old....if he is guilty. I'm speaking hypothetically of course because most of us here at Ann Arbor.com know better than to assume he is guilty just because he is being charged.
smokeblwr
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
Yuck. I feel dirty just reading this article.