Interpol and Saps arrested the American in Gqeberha for allegedly raping his daughter in Texas in 2017.
Police arrested 56-year-old US citizen in Kabega Park for 2017 rape of daughter. Picture: Saps
Interpol and the South African Police Service (Saps) have arrested an American fugitive in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, for allegedly raping his daughter in 2017 and then fleeing the United States (US).
On Wednesday, police arrested the 56-year-old US citizen at his home in Kabega Park, Gqeberha, for the alleged sexual abuse of his daughter.
US fugitive accused of raping 12-year-old daughter in 2017
The suspect was wanted by Interpol on charges of rape and sexual assault.
The victim’s mother reported the matter to the San Antonio Police Department in Texas in 2017.
According to US publication KSAT, the man had been on the run since May 2019 after an indictment was filed.
The indictment alleged that the suspect sexually assaulted the child through physical force and contact.
The publication further reported in 2020 that his last known place of residence was in San Antonio’s Northeast Side.
Saps spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said, according to Interpol’s report, the suspect allegedly raped his daughter and shared explicit text messages with her over a period. She was 12 years old at the time.
US suspect traced to Eastern Cape
After the San Antonio Police Department completed its investigation, the suspect fled the US and was later traced to Eastern Cape, South Africa.
“Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) Pretoria traced the suspect and executed a Section 5(1)(b) warrant upon receipt of the USA’s extradition request with support from the Nelson Mandela Bay District Intervention Task Team, Crime Combating Unit, and Mount Road Crime Intelligence,” Van Wyk said.
He is expected to appear in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 29 May 2026.
He will face an extradition application by the government of the United States of America to the Republic of South Africa.
