Jon Schillaci

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Jon Schillaci
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Jon Schillaci
Jon Schillaci
Born: December 14, 1971 (1971-12-14) (age 36)
Charged with: Unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Aggravated felonious sexual assault, Felonious sexual assault; Possession of child pornography
(23 counts)
Date Added: September 7, 2007
Date Caught: June 5, 2008
Number on List: #488
Captured

Jon Savarino Schillaci (born December 14, 1971) is convicted sex offender and a fugitive who was added to the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on September 7, 2007. Schillaci is the 488th fugitive to be placed on the list. He was captured on June 5, 2008 in San José de Gracia, Michoacán, Mexico.[1]


Contents

[edit] Early life

Schillaci was born in Oklahoma and had been given up for adoption at an early age. His childhood, which has been described "turbulent", was mostly spent in Texas.[2] In prison, Schillaci told officials he had been (possibly sexually) abused by a relative as a child.[3]

[edit] Crimes and incarceration

In 1989 then 17-year-old Schillaci and a then 20-year-old man were accused of having sex with two 11 year-old boys they allegedly featured in a video. They invited them to Schillaci's home, showed them a film of child pornography, then asked them to engage in sexual acts while he filmed them. After filming them, he sexually assaulted both of the boys. He was arrested days later in January 29, 1989, when he tried to sell the video for 500 dollars.[3] He pleaded guilty to two counts of sex performed by a child and four counts of aggravated sexual assault[4] was convicted in April 26, 1990[5] and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Schillaci has friends and family in Houston and Dallas, but never received any visitors in prison.

He won first prize for poetry in PEN American Center's prisoner writing contest in 1998.[6] Before his release, he gained the trust of a couple in Deerfield, New Hampshire by developing a pen pal relationship and writing back and forth with the family. He convinced the family that he was a changed man and regretted the mistakes of his youth.

[edit] Education

While incarcerated Schillaci studied French and German and completed at least two Masters Degrees in Humanities and Literature. Additionally, Schillaci has educational background in behavioural sciences, computer science, drafting, philosophy, religion and politics. He is also computer savvy, an accomplished pianist, and adequate guitarist.[7]

[edit] After release

After Schillaci was released from Houston prison in July 30, 1999, he registered as a sex offender and soon moved into the Deerfield family's home to start a new life.

Schillaci was employed at Ted Herbert's Music Mart and Art Center in Manchester. He was a salesperson at the store where more than 600 children take music lessons. He also has worked as a computer specialist. He was studying at nearby college and he later enrolled to Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied six weeks.[8]

[edit] New accusations

In late October of 1999, when Schillaci was returning from Tufts University, the couple's five-year-old son alleged to his parents that Schillaci had sexually assaulted him. Family alerted authorities and police served Schillaci with a restraining order. Schillaci reported to work the next day and he fled in the afternoon, leaving behind his computer and car, which he abandoned near a bus station.

Schillaci was indicted on sexual assault charges on November 4, 1999 and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued a month later for failing to appear in court. The Boston field office also issued a warrant for his arrest. In September 2000, Schillaci was also charged with 23 counts of child porn possession, when circa 300 images of child pornography were found from his computer.[9]

[edit] Fugitive

Schillaci was seen boarding a Greyhound Lines bus and heading south. He was seen in a small town in Baja California, Mexico in March 2000. It was last believed he was working in a pediatrician's office.[10]

Schillaci was placed on Oprah's Child Predator Watch List and was profiled on the television program, America's Most Wanted before he was added to the list of FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives in September 7, 2007. He replaced another sexual predator Richard Steve Goldberg, who was captured on 12 May 2007. There was a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Schillaci's capture offered by the FBI.

Prior to his arrest, it was determined that Schillaci was living in Guadalajara, Mexico from approximately February 2003 until September 2006 under the alias, Dylan Natchitoches Pierce. He also used the alias Dylan Thomas while operating as a DJ for the boychat-associated web-based radio show, "The Dylan Thomas Show". Investigation also determined that Schillaci was the current webmaster of pro-pedophile website www.boychat.org.[1] He is believed to have been in Mexico the entire time he was a fugitive, though he traveled within the country.[11]

[edit] Internet Activity

Mr. Schillaci has been identified as "Dylan Thomas," the webmaster of www.boychat.org, form November 2003 until his arrest. He has also been active as a radio personality.

[edit] Capture

Schillaci was arrested in June 5, 2008 without incident. The arrest occurred about 11:30 am in the town of San José de Gracia, Michoacán. When approached by the FBI and Mexican authorities, Schillaci confirmed his identity.

Schillaci was transported to Morelia, Mexico where he boarded Mexicana Airlines to the United States early the next morning. Schillaci and his FBI escort landed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 5:55 am. He was then transferred to an FBI aircraft and flown to Pease International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was then brought to the Rockingham County Courthouse for arraignment on his Rockingham County charges.

In a Rockingham County court, Judge Tina Nadeau ordered Schillaci held without bail and entered not-guilty pleas for him until he gets a lawyer. He requested a public defender.[11] Currently Schillaci is awaiting trial in Rockingham County Jail. He faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b TOP TEN CAPTURE - Most Wanted Fugitive Found in Mexico (HTML) Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on 2008-06-09
  2. ^ Jon Savarino Schillaci Wanted for Sexual Assault of 5-Year-Old Boy (HTML). Fox News. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  3. ^ a b N.H. fugitive placed on most-wanted list (HTML). Concord Monitor. Retrieved on 2008-05-10
  4. ^ Local: Alleged pedophile evades officials (HTML). Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  5. ^ New Hampshire Sex Offender Registry (HTML). Division of State Police, New Hampshire Department of Safety. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  6. ^ PEN American Center - 1998-1999 (HTML). PEN American Center. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  7. ^ Rockingham County Sheriff's Office - Wanted Persons List (HTML). Rockingham County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  8. ^ Former Tufts student appears on FBI's America's Most Wanted list (HTML). The Tufts Daily. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  9. ^ N.H. fugitive makes 10 Most Wanted list (HTML). The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  10. ^ Man Accused Of Assault In Deerfield Placed On FBI Wanted List (HTML). WMUR 9. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
  11. ^ a b Molestation suspect in N.H. after Mexico arrest (HTML) Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-06-09

[edit] External links