By JUN RAMIREZ
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is deporting a Briton wanted by authorities in the United Kingdom where he was convicted 12 years ago of sexually molesting a girl and other sex offenses.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said 63-year-old Robert Evans is now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City following his arrest in Mahaplag, Leyte last Thursday by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
Morente said Evans was arrested upon the request of the British embassy in Manila which informed the BI about the Briton’s record as a convicted child sex offender.
It was disclosed that aside from having sex with a minor, Evans was also convicted for sexual grooming, or befriending a child with the object of sexual abuse, and making indecent photographs of children.
“We will immediately deport him to protect Filipino children from being victimized by him while he is in the country,” Morente added.
The BI chief disclosed that Evans was previously issued a permanent visa by the bureau due to his marriage to a Filipina.
“Our board of commissioners will issue an order cancelling his visa and ordering his deportation for being an undesirable alien,” he said.
According to Bobby Raquepo, BI-FSU acting chief, Evans traveled to the Philippines in January 2010 and later married a Filipina whom he met over the Internet.
Raquepo said UK authorities sought Evans’ arrest after seeing that his Facebook accounts and that of his wife showed him having child contacts, including female children sitting on his lap.
