An alleged paedophile who had been on the run for nearly two decades has been apprehended in France, thousands of miles away from his home base. The Scottsdale Police Department in Arizona confirmed the arrest of Michael Wiseman, a wanted individual facing multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. Wiseman, listed as the department’s “number 2 most wanted fugitive” since 2008, fled the US by removing his court-ordered monitoring ankle bracelet before being captured with the assistance of the FBI in France.
Authorities revealed that Wiseman’s escape route included Vietnam, Poland, and finally settling in Kilstett, France under the alias Robert Danilewski. Following his flight, numerous nationwide extradition warrants were issued for his arrest, encompassing charges such as probation violation related to sexual exploitation of a minor and failure to register as a sex offender.
This was not Wiseman’s first encounter with the law, as he was previously apprehended in Spain by the FBI’s Phoenix office in 2009. Despite being extradited to the US and sentenced in 2012, he once again absconded while on probation. The combined efforts of Scottsdale’s Criminal Intelligence Unit and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office led to the issuance of a Provisional Arrest Warrant to the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, resulting in Wiseman’s eventual capture in France.
Further investigations revealed disturbing content on Wiseman’s personal accounts, prompting the involvement of the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit. Detectives uncovered videos depicting child sexual abuse, leading to Wiseman being charged by French authorities with “rape and sexual assault of a minor under 15 years of age.” He is currently in custody in France pending extradition back to the US.
Scottsdale Police Department Chief Joe LeDuc commended the relentless efforts of the detectives involved, emphasizing the dedication to safeguarding children. The successful arrest, after years of persistence and collaboration, highlights the commitment of law enforcement agencies in pursuing justice for victims of sexual crimes.