BI agents nab alleged American sex offender at Clark Int’l

The Bureau of Immigration officers at Clark International Airport arrested an alleged American sex offender who is wanted in the United States for sexually abusing children.

In a report given to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI Border Control and Intelligence Unit identified the suspect as Steven Daniel Griswold, 42, who was intercepted on Saturday, 9 December, as he attempted to leave the country via a Cebu Pacific Airways flight bound for Tokyo, Japan.

BI-BCIU Deputy Operation Chief Joseph Cueto said that Griswold was arrested after immigration officers who encountered him confirmed that the American passenger's name was on their watchlist of wanted foreign fugitives.

Griswold was immediately turned over and transferred to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, pending the issuance of his summary deportation order by the BI's Board of Commissioners.

He was reportedly placed on the watch list after BI prosecutors filed a deportation case against him for being an undesirable alien.

The said charge stemmed from the information and report that the Bureau received from US authorities that Griswold is the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by a US district court in Oregon, where he was charged with sexual exploitation of children, attempted sexual exploitation of children, and receiving child pornography.

Tansingco said Griswold will be placed on the immigration blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines after he is deported. 

"He will be perpetually banned from entering the country, as foreign pedophiles like him do not deserve the privilege to stay here even for a second. They should be kicked out because they pose a serious threat to our children, any of whom could be his next victim," the BI chief added.