BI to deport convicted British pedophile

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morent said Robert Evans, 63, was arrested in Mahaplag, Leyte last Thursday by the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) upon the request of the British Embassy in Manila. (PNA photo)

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to deport a British national convicted 12 years ago of various sexual offenses, including sexually molesting a girl in the United Kingdom.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Robert Evans, 63, was arrested in Mahaplag, Leyte last Thursday by the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) upon the request of the British Embassy in Manila.

He is now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

“We will immediately deport him to protect Filipino children from being victimized by him while he is in the country,” Morente said in a statement.

Aside from having sex with a minor, Evans was also convicted of sexual grooming, or befriending a child with the object of sexual abuse, and making indecent photographs of children.

The BI chief disclosed the Briton was previously issued a permanent visa by the bureau due to his marriage to a Filipina, whom he met over the Internet.

“Our board of commissioners will issue an order canceling his visa and ordering his deportation for being an undesirable alien,” he said.

According to Bobby Raquepo, BI-FSU acting chief, the foreigner traveled to the Philippines in January 2010 and later married a Filipina, who was not identified.

He said UK authorities sought Evans’ arrest after seeing his Facebook accounts and that of his wife showed him having child contacts, including female children sitting on his lap.

“He violated an order from the UK court prohibiting him from having contact with minors,” the BI official added.