AN alleged American paedophile wanted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and US federal authorities for sexually abusing children was arrested by BI officers at the Clark International Airport (CIA).

In his report to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI’s border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) head Dennis Alcedo said Steven Daniel Griswold, 42, was intercepted on Saturday as he was about to leave via a Cebu Pacific Airways flight to Tokyo, Japan.

Tansingco said Griswold will be placed in the immigration blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines after he is deported.

“He will be perpetually banned from entering the country as foreign pedophiles like him do not deserve the privilege to stay here even for a second. They should be kicked out because they pose a serious threat to our children, anyone of whom could be his next victim,” the BI chief added.

According to Alcedo, Griswold was immediately turned over and committed to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending issuance of the order for his summary deportation by the bureau’s board of commissioners.

Alcedo added that Griswold was reportedly placed in the watchlist after BI prosecutors filed a deportation case against him for being an undesirable alien. The said charge stemmed from a report the BI received from US authorities that Griswold is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a US district court in Oregon where he was charged with sexual exploitation of children, attempted sexual exploitation of children, and receiving child pornography.

“He was arrested after immigration officers who encountered confirmed that the passenger and the American who is in our watchlist of wanted foreign fugitives are one and the same,” BI-BCIU deputy operations chief Joseph Cueto said. 

 SOURCE