Ukrainian authorities arrested a 66-year-old US citizen who evaded justice for over three decades after fleeing the United States following charges of sexual crimes against children, the Office of the Prosecutor General announced.

The man was detained in Kyiv Oblast during a joint operation involving Ukrainian prosecutors, the Cyber Police Department, the FBI, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice. He had been living under a false identity, using forged documents claiming to be a Mexican citizen.

“On the territory of Kyiv Oblast, a 66-year-old US citizen was detained who had been on the international wanted list since 1992,” the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.

According to US law enforcement data, the suspect worked as director of a preschool in Pima County, Arizona, where he committed sexual offenses against four children aged 4 to 9 between 1984 and 1991. Before the Arizona Superior Court could issue sentencing, the man fled US territory.

Ukrainian investigators discovered the fugitive had been living in Kyiv Oblast for an extended period. Using forged documentation, he posed as a Mexican national and purchased a private house in one of the region’s villages.

Law enforcement located him through digital investigation methods, including open-source intelligence analysis. Following identification, authorities conducted searches at his residence and arrested him.

The suspect faces 15 counts under US criminal law related to child sexual abuse. Ukrainian prosecutors are preparing a motion for extradition arrest pending resolution of his transfer to the United States.

The case demonstrates Ukraine’s commitment to international cooperation in criminal justice, particularly regarding extradition of individuals accused of grave crimes involving child exploitation, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The arrest comes after more than 30 years of the suspect living freely under an assumed identity, highlighting both the persistence of international law enforcement cooperation and the challenges of tracking fugitives across borders.

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