Immigration blocks entry of US citizen with sex offense

Immigration authorities have denied entry to an American national previously convicted of a sex-related crime involving a minor, citing national security and public safety concerns.

The foreigner, identified as 36-year-old Matthew Stephen Gross, was intercepted by immigration officers at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on June 16 upon arrival from Taipei.

According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Gross was excluded from entry and immediately deported to his port of origin under standard immigration exclusion proceedings.

His record, the BI noted, involves a 2012 conviction in the United States for second-degree sexual abuse involving a 17-year-old.

The Bureau emphasized its firm stance on protecting the country from foreign nationals with a history of sex crimes, particularly those involving minors.

“Gross has been added to the BI’s blacklist, permanently barring him from future entry into the Philippines,” the agency said in a statement.

Under Philippine law, individuals previously convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude — including sexual offenses, fraud, theft, and violent crimes — may be denied entry on the grounds that they pose a potential threat to public safety or national security.