An investigation into a staff sergeant at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, accused of stealing government military equipment and selling it online, led to additional charges of sexual exploitation of a child, according to documents from the United States District Court.
Alexander Renato Young was federally indicted in April on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of theft of government property.
In October of 2023, The Office of Special Investigations at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base received an anonymous tip that Staff Sgt. Alexander Renato Young was stealing military equipment and selling them via a website called TacSwap, according to the criminal complaint.
The tip said Young was selling under the username "ZAKU66." A review of items being sold by "ZAKU66" were similar to items that Young had access to through a Defense Logistics Agency account that allowed him to order military equipment for official military purposes, the complaint said.
A subpoena return from TacSwap revealed "ZAKU66" was registered to Young, the complaint said.
In November of 2024, agents interviewed Young, who initially denied selling any items requested through DLA, but eventually admitted to posting items from DLA to his TacSwap account, the complaint said.
Young told investigators he did it because he was stupid, the complaint said, and because of his passion for his hobby.
He said he sold 25-30 items and made about $450. OSI followed those admissions by seizing his cell phone, the complaint said.
A warrant was issued to download the contents of Young's cell phone. During the review of its contents, investigators noticed a thumbnail image of what appeared to be a camera in a bathroom hidden within foilage, the complaint said.
Several videos were found that contained the same thumbnail, depicting a female going to the bathroom and exiting the shower, the complaint said. Several of the videos had clear shots of the female's nude body.
The complaint describes more images, but the descriptions are so heavily redacted, KGUN 9 could not determine what they said.
Agents determined the female would have been 14 years old at the time the videos were taken.
