US News
U.S. sailor arrested in Canada on child sex exploitation charges
Federal authorities located dual citizen Donald Steven Lang, who was indicted in Hawaii and wanted in Idaho, following an international search.
The short version
- Donald Steven Lang, 62, was arrested in Canada over the weekend by Canadian authorities at the request of the United States.
- Lang was indicted on August 20 in Hawaii for alleged child sexual exploitation on his sailboat in late 2024, and was previously charged in Idaho in April 2025 for separate alleged offenses.
- The FBI had conducted an international search for Lang, warning he might use his 55-foot sailboat to evade law enforcement across the Pacific Ocean.
- U.S. officials are working to extradite Lang from Canada to face trial in Hawaii, where he faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Key facts
- Donald Steven Lang, a 62-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, was arrested in Canada by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and FBI partners.[Fox News]
- A federal grand jury in Hawaii indicted Lang on August 20 on one count of sexual exploitation of children, alleging he committed the crime on his sailboat, Ishi, between September and December 2024.[Fox News]
- Lang was charged in Kootenai County, Idaho, in April 2025 with three counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and one count of sexual battery related to alleged conduct between 2003 and 2007.[Fox News]
- The FBI had offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Lang's arrest, warning that he was a potential flight risk with ties to multiple U.S. states and countries across the Pacific.[Fox News]
- If convicted of the federal Hawaii charge, Lang faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The timeline and legal proceedings for extraditing Lang from Canada to the United States have not been detailed.[Fox News]