France has arrested a long-time US fugitive, Michael Robert Wiseman, who was convicted of sex crimes in Arizona, after he tried to obtain a pilot's license in Spain using his real name. The 51-year-old American was living in northeastern France when he was apprehended on November 1.
According to Scottsdale police Sgt. Dustin Patrick, Wiseman had been evading authorities for years after being released from prison and sentenced to lifetime probation in Arizona. In 2008, he fled the country twice to avoid prosecution, with his second escape warrant issued after US authorities discovered child sex abuse material on his computer.
Wiseman's latest stint abroad ended when a potential employer Googled his name and found that he was on the US most-wanted list. His real identity as Michael Robert Wiseman was revealed while attempting to obtain a pilot's license in Spain, leading Spanish authorities to contact French police.
US authorities have long been seeking Wiseman's extradition after discovering evidence of child sex abuse against one of his adopted children in Vietnam and another in Poland. An investigation is underway in Strasbourg, eastern France, to determine if he also harmed the other child.
Wiseman had initially fled Arizona in 2008 due to financial difficulties following a wife's departure after his arrest and conviction for attempted sexual exploitation of a child. He was sentenced to lifetime probation and one-year deferred jail sentence in 2012 but skipped out on his parole after being released from prison two years later.
Following his latest arrest, French authorities charged Wiseman with sexually assaulting a child, a charge that he faces alongside allegations of abuse against his adopted children in Vietnam and Poland. The US has also been seeking to extradite him over the sex crimes charges.
According to Scottsdale police Sgt. Dustin Patrick, Wiseman had been evading authorities for years after being released from prison and sentenced to lifetime probation in Arizona. In 2008, he fled the country twice to avoid prosecution, with his second escape warrant issued after US authorities discovered child sex abuse material on his computer.
Wiseman's latest stint abroad ended when a potential employer Googled his name and found that he was on the US most-wanted list. His real identity as Michael Robert Wiseman was revealed while attempting to obtain a pilot's license in Spain, leading Spanish authorities to contact French police.
US authorities have long been seeking Wiseman's extradition after discovering evidence of child sex abuse against one of his adopted children in Vietnam and another in Poland. An investigation is underway in Strasbourg, eastern France, to determine if he also harmed the other child.
Wiseman had initially fled Arizona in 2008 due to financial difficulties following a wife's departure after his arrest and conviction for attempted sexual exploitation of a child. He was sentenced to lifetime probation and one-year deferred jail sentence in 2012 but skipped out on his parole after being released from prison two years later.
Following his latest arrest, French authorities charged Wiseman with sexually assaulting a child, a charge that he faces alongside allegations of abuse against his adopted children in Vietnam and Poland. The US has also been seeking to extradite him over the sex crimes charges.
I feel bad for the kids who went through this, though. Child sex abuse is such a sensitive topic, but it's heartbreaking when you hear about these cases.
Anyway, it's good that he's finally facing justice, but you can't help feeling that there are more questions than answers in cases like this...
. Poor guy thought using Google was gonna help him fly under the radar, instead got caught red-handed 
.
... how did Googling his name lead to his real identity being revealed? Shouldn't he've taken more precautions if he was trying to keep a low profile? 
And what's with all these countries getting involved in each other's fugitive business? 
France, the US, Spain, Vietnam... shouldn't they just have their own systems for tracking down people who committed crimes and evaded justice? 
And what's with the US authorities being so keen on extraditing him when they have their own justice system in place? Can't they just handle their own cases instead of relying on foreign countries to take care of theirs? 
.
. Can't we move forward with some actual information instead of speculation? 
anyway, glad french cops were onto this dude and got him before he did more harm. wonder how many other lives were affected by his actions... and what kinda support system does someone have when they've got a record like that? 
. I mean, evading authorities for years? That's some crazy stuff 
. And now he's facing some serious time for these alleged child sex abuse crimes... not that it should be a surprise, but still 
. And now French authorities are dealing with the fallout of his actions, not to mention the US trying to get him back 
. This guy needs to face justice, and fast 
, always managing to evade justice for years 
...the story is crazy, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it 
this is so disturbing... 51 years old and still trying to escape justice for his sick crimes... poor kids who went through all that trauma... 