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. The Scottsdale Police Department in Arizona announced the arrest of Michael Wiseman, wanted for multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. Wiseman, labeled as the department’s “number 2 most wanted fugitive” since 2008, had fled the US while under court-ordered monitoring by cutting off his ankle monitor.
Authorities revealed that Wiseman had escaped to France via Vietnam and Poland, where he was living under the alias Robert Danilewski in Kilstett. Several nationwide extradition warrants were issued for his arrest, including charges related to probation violations and failure to register as a sex offender.
Wiseman had previously been apprehended by the FBI in Spain in 2009, resulting in an Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution warrant. Despite being extradited to the US and sentenced in 2012, he fled the country again while on probation. The Scottsdale Police Department, in collaboration with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, submitted a Provisional Arrest Warrant to the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs earlier this year, leading to his eventual arrest in France.
Detectives discovered incriminating evidence on Wiseman’s personal accounts, leading to charges of sexual abuse of a minor under 15 years of age by French authorities. He is currently in custody in France awaiting extradition to the US. Scottsdale Police Department Chief Joe LeDuc praised the persistence and commitment of the investigative team, expressing gratitude for the FBI’s support in bringing Wiseman to justice after years of evasion.