2 American sex offenders barred from entering Phl

Bureau of Immigration officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport denied entry to two American men who have criminal histories of sexual assault against youngsters both here and in the US.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that the two passengers were recently intercepted separately upon arriving at NAIA.

The two Americans were identified as 63-year-old Keith Michael Lacek and 54-year-old Peter Maehler de Leon Guerrero.

Lacek and Guerrero arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 on board via Air China and Eva Air, respectively, from Taipei

Lacek was barred upon arrival on 5 December, after his name prompted a hit in the bureau's derogatory base, indicating that he was banned from entering the country for his involvement in sex tourism.

Lacek had been blacklisted by the BI since June 2020 after the bureau received information from the Office of Cybercrime of the Department of Justice that he was reportedly involved in the online enticement and sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

He allegedly enticed a Filipina to produce and send indecent photographs of children and to engage in sexual activity with a young minor in exchange for money.

Guerrero was excluded on 2 December after the Bureau learned that he is a registered sex offender in the US due to his record of conviction as a child rapist. A Texas court reportedly convicted Guerrero in 1994 for violating Section 22 of the state's laws, which penalizes the act of sexual assault of a child who is 17 years of age or younger.

"We had to remove them immediately after they arrived at the airport. They are undesirable aliens who pose a very serious threat to our children," Tansingco said. "Consequently, they are perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines."