South Africa extradited an American national accused of abusing children to his home country on Thursday night.
The 45-year-old Lance Layton Thomas faced 13 counts of sexual abuse against children between the ages of 14 and 15 between 2007 and 2010 in California in the United States, Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said on Friday.
“He fled to South Africa in July 2010, using his authentic passport, shortly after committing his last offence,” said Lt-Col Dlamini.
Dlamini said US authorities learned he was in South Africa in February 2011 and issued a warrant for his arrest to the SA Police Interpol.
“He was subsequently arrested in September 2013 by the SAPS Interpol after attending his sister’s funeral in Port Elizabeth where he was kept and tried for his extradition.”
Dlamini said Thomas was recently transferred to the Brooklyn police while his departure was being finalised.
No other crimes had been recorded against him during his stay in South Africa.
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