American pedophile arrested at Clark airport

Steven Daniel Griswold, an alien on the Bureau of Immigration’s watchlist for being wanted by the US federal authorities (Photo from the BI)

MANILA, Philippines — An American wanted for sex crimes who was about to leave the Philippines over the weekend was arrested by immigration officers at Clark International Airport.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said the foreigner, identified as Steven Daniel Griswold is on their watchlist. He was about to leave the country via a flight to Tokyo, Japan on Saturday when immigration officers recognized him.

“He was arrested after immigration officers who encountered [him] confirmed that the passenger and the American who is in our watchlist of wanted foreign fugitives are one and the same,” James Cueto, the agency’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit Deputy Operations Chief, said in a statement.

The BI said they received a report from US authorities that Griswold has an arrest warrant from a district court in Oregon.

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He was charged with sexual and attempted sexual exploitation of children, and receiving child pornography.

Griswold was placed on the agency’s watchlist as immigration prosecutors filed a deportation case against him for being an undesirable alien, the BI noted.

In a press release, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Griswold will be placed on the BI  blacklist, which will prevent him from re-entering the country.

 The BI said the American was turned over and committed to the agency’s warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending his deportation.