International Manhunt Leads to Arrest of One of the Most Wanted Child Sex Offenders in America

WASHINGTON - An international manhunt has ended in Poland with the capture of John Edward Hamilton. Hamilton is on the G8 Wanted Child Sex Offender list, making him one of the 10 most wanted child sex offenders in the country.

"The capture of John Hamilton exemplifies the growing international commitment to bring fugitives to justice, across both borders and jurisdictions," said Director John F. Clark of the U.S. Marshals Service. "This arrest of this sexual predator is made possible through the cooperation of numerous law enforcement agencies worldwide, as well as the resources and talents of the dedicated individuals working in our Sex Offender Targeting Center. I offer my sincere thanks to our many international and domestic partners who played a part in this apprehension."

After a coordinated effort between the U.S. Marshals, INTERPOL and the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department, Hamilton was located Wednesday on a bus leaving the Czech Republic entering into Poland. Hamilton was traveling under an alias when Polish authorities in the border town of Gliwice detained him when he refused to show his ID and provided evasive answers. The Polish Border authorities pulled him to the side and subsequently found his U.S. passport.

Hamilton was turned over to the provincial police, who contacted INTERPOL – Warsaw, who, in turn, contacted the U.S. Marshals Service at INTERPOL - Washington to provide identity information and a hit confirmation. INTERPOL Washington officials confirmed Hamilton’s identify after sending Polish authorities confirmation of his fingerprints.

The U.S. Marshals began working the case in September 2009. Detectives assigned to the Fairfax County Child Services Unit also worked closely with the U.S. Marshals Service on this intricate and extensive investigation. When the case was adopted as part of the International roundup INFRA-RED and the G8 Wanted Child Sex Offender initiatives, the U.S. Marshals International Investigations Branch picked up the case in July 2010. They developed information he was traveling between Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic. With the assistance of their overseas counterparts in those countries and deploying investigative methods, the USMS were able to track Hamilton’s movements between different countries in Europe.

An Interpol Red Notice was issued for Hamilton and sent to every country in Europe, ultimately resulting in the arrest of Hamilton.

“I commend the work of all the law enforcement authorities involved in this case,” said Timothy A. Williams, INTERPOL Washington Director. “This is a great example of how U.S. and international law enforcement agencies share information to bring child predators like John Hamilton to justice. I would like to especially commend the U.S. Marshals Service and the Fairfax County Police for their tireless efforts in this investigation.”

Hamilton pled guilty in August 2009 and is awaiting sentencing on two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child, two counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of crimes against nature with a minor. The charges were filed with the Circuit Court of the County of Fairfax, Va.