More than a decade after being indicted for allegedly being in possession of possessing child sexual abuse material, a 51-year-old Lynn man was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Friday, said the U.S. Attorney’s office for Massachusetts.
Melchor Datu, who is originally from the Philippines, was arrested in a joint effort between special agents and FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation- Human Trafficking Task Force after he arrived in the United States.
Datu appeared in U.S District Court in the Southern District of Florida Friday afternoon and will appear in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts at a later date, the statement said.
The arrest comes a year after the FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to Datu’s arrest and subsequent conviction through an international publicity campaign.
In October, 2008, Datu was allegedly found to have a laptop with two external hard drives containing multiple files in which minors were engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the statement said. He was indicted by a grand jury in December of 2012.
Datu was arrested in the Dominican Republic in a joint effort between the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Santo Domingo and the Dominican National Police, Division Especial de Investigacion del Crimen Organizado Internacional, Migracion Dominicana, Procuraduria Especializada contra Crimen y Delitos de Alta Technologia, and Titular Ivan Vladimir Feliz Vargas.
In a statement, United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins praised the collaboration between the law engrovement agencies.
“No matter where you go. No matter where you hide. If you are a fugitive from justice we will not stop until we find you. This arrest proves that fact,” she said. “Keeping our children safe from predators is a top priority of my administration. My office remains vigilant in our pursuit of justice for the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The charges Datu currently faces could lead to a prison sentence of up to five years, and at least five years of supervised release with a potentially $250,000 maximum fine.
Joseph R. Bonvalonta, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said that Datu’s arrest should serve as a warning to other fugitives.
“Our commitment to justice has no time limit and knows no boundaries. Melchor Datu’s arrest should send a clear message to fugitives: no matter where in the world you try to hide, we will find you and bring you back to face justice,” Bonavolonta said. “We’d like to thank the concerned citizen who alerted us to Mr. Datu’s whereabouts, and our law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic for their outstanding cooperation. The crime for which Melchor Datu stands accused is disturbing. We hope this news brings some comfort to all affected.”
