‘Predator’ caught on his way to Australia, say US police

AN INTERNATIONAL manhunt has led to the capture of an alleged American child predator just before he boarded a flight to Australia.

Alexander Bowers has been charged with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and three counts of criminal sexual abuse, according to the Oswego Police Department. Picture: Oswego Police Department.

AN INTERNATIONAL manhunt has led to the capture of an alleged American child predator just before he boarded a flight to Australia.

US, Australian and Japanese authorities, along with Interpol, worked together to track 28-year-old Alexander Bowers down in Tokyo.

“There was some great communication and networking that put this together,” Cathy Nevara, spokesperson for Illinois’ Oswego Police Department, told AAP.

Oswego detectives started the global operation on August 23 when they discovered Bowers, accused of the predatory criminal sexual assault of a boy in Illinois, had travelled to Japan and was scheduled to fly to Australia.

Bowers is accused of assaulting the boy in Oswego for about four years, starting in 2008 when the victim was nine years old and Bowers was 20.

Alexander Bowers is accused of sexual assault of a boy in Illinois. Picture: Thinkstock.

Oswego detectives alerted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations about his international travel and Australian authorities were notified.

Australian authorities immediately revoked Bowers’ travel visa.

A warrant was issued in the US for Bowers’ arrest, Interpol was notified, and on Tuesday he was detained by Japanese authorities.

Bowers was flown under guard from Tokyo to Chicago on Thursday where he was charged with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Authorities declined to say what motivated Bowers, a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, to fly to Australia.

“I do not know and we are not going to speculate, but we do know he had a travel visa to Australia,” Ms Nevara said.