Spanish Police Arrest NZer on FBI’s Most Wanted List
December 23, 2022
PHOTO: Policía Nacional
Spanish police have arrested one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives, who was staying at a hotel in Madrid under a false identity.
Michael James Pratt, a New Zealand citizen, had been sentenced to life in prison in the US for sexual exploitation and sexual assault, and producing child sexual abuse images.
Police said he was involved in the audiovisual production of recordings, recruiting underage girls and young women through deception between 2012 and 2019. He made more than $17m (£14m) from those activities.
Only 57 criminals on the FBI’s most wanted list have been apprehended outside the bureau’s jurisdiction, Spanish authorities said, adding that it was the first time this has occurred in Spain.