After nearly twenty years evading authorities, a wanted alleged paedophile has been apprehended thousands of miles away from his home. The Scottsdale Police Department in Arizona announced the arrest of Michael Wiseman in France this week. Wiseman, facing multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, had been on the run since 2008, making him the department’s “number 2 most wanted fugitive.”
Having fled the US while under court-ordered monitoring by cutting off his ankle monitor, Wiseman was tracked down in France with the help of the FBI. He had traveled through Vietnam to Poland before settling in Kilstett, where he was living under the alias Robert Danilewski.
Numerous extradition warrants were issued for Wiseman, including charges related to sexual exploitation of a minor, escape in the first degree, and failure to register as a sex offender. This was not the first time Wiseman had been pursued by law enforcement; in 2009, the FBI’s Phoenix office captured him in Spain, leading to his extradition and subsequent sentencing in 2012. However, Wiseman once again absconded while on probation.
The Scottsdale PD, in collaboration with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, successfully secured a Provisional Arrest Warrant earlier this year, which ultimately led to Wiseman’s arrest in France. Detectives uncovered incriminating evidence on Wiseman’s personal accounts, prompting his arrest on charges of “rape and sexual assault of a minor under 15 years of age.”
French authorities are currently detaining Wiseman pending his extradition to the US. Scottsdale Police Department Chief Joe LeDuc commended the tireless efforts of the detectives and FBI, emphasizing the unwavering commitment to protecting children and bringing offenders to justice after years of pursuit.