New Zealander Michael James Pratt was recently arrested in Madrid. Pratt had fled the US after being sentenced to life in prison for sexual fraud, producing child pornography and rape. He had been staying at a hotel under a false identity.
In a statement issued on Friday, the FBI said Pratt, who had been on the run since around 2019, was arrested last Wednesday. The arrest was based on an Interpol Red Notification.
Pratt is believed to have placed web-based advertisements in the US and Canada offering “performing tasks” to lure his victims into the porn business. Some of these young women and girls were held down and forced to perform sexual acts even though they did not want to, US specialists say. According to the US Justice Department, Pratt was involved in creating obscene accounts in various media and had rounded up 17 million dollars through the criminal activities. He was also accused of selecting underage young women and young women through fraud between 2012 and 2019.
FBI Specialist Stacey Moy of the San Diego Field Office commented on the arrest as follows: “The capture of Michael Pratt is an example of how the FBI is looking for equality behind US borders – you can run, but you can’t hide.“