LESLEY RUSSON FLED UK AND FOUND SAFE HAVEN IN THE PHILIPPINES BEFORE DEPORTATION

In April 2018, authorities confirmed the deportation of Leslie Charles Russon, a British fugitive who had been on the run in the Philippines for nearly three years. Russon, aged 52, was originally sentenced in the United Kingdom in 1993 to a seven-year prison term after being convicted of molesting three teenage boys. Following his release from incarceration, Russon was registered as a sex offender and was required to regularly report his whereabouts to local police authorities.

Despite these obligations, Russon maintained a pattern of frequent travel to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, during periods when he was not reporting to authorities. His trips were often interspersed with his reporting duties, which he fulfilled by flying to various destinations in the region. However, in September 2015, Russon failed to return to the UK after one of his scheduled reporting periods, effectively going into hiding and establishing a life on the run.

His disappearance prompted a nationwide police manhunt, as authorities identified him as a significant risk to children. The Filipino fugitive search unit (FSU) intensified efforts to locate him, and in February, Russon was finally apprehended in San Fernando City, Cebu Province, by FSU operatives. The arrest marked a significant breakthrough in the case, as officials confirmed his identity and his status as a convicted sex offender.

The head of the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines stated, “We will deport him for posing a risk to Filipino children whom he might victimize while he continues to remain in the country.” The officials from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had previously requested Russon’s deportation, emphasizing that he had no intention of returning to the United Kingdom. They warned that his continued presence in the Philippines posed a serious threat to children in the region.

Bobby Raquepo, the head of the FSU, provided further details about Russon’s criminal history, saying, “A British court convicted and sentenced Russon to seven years in prison in 1993 for molesting three boys who were under 16 years of age. The suspect frequently traveled back and forth to the Philippines after serving his sentence. When he was in the UK, he would register and report his presence to the authorities, but he would then travel back to the Philippines afterward.”

Following his arrest, authorities moved swiftly to deport Russon, citing the ongoing risk he posed to children in the Philippines. His deportation marked the end of a long period of evasion and highlighted the international cooperation involved in tracking down and apprehending convicted sex offenders who attempt to evade justice by fleeing their home countries.