A Texas man who has been on the run for nearly 20 years after being accused of sexually assaulting a child has been taken back into custody, officials say.
Anthony Rae, 49, was arrested in 2003 in the town of Val Alstyne on multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child, according to the Grayson County District Attorney’s Office.
After posting bail for those crimes in 2004, Rae never showed up for his trial and instead went on the run, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reported. He was missing for almost 20 years.
“I’m standing here with the US Marshals of the Eastern District of Texas and the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security, there’s no time we won’t take to make sure people are sent back to face justice if you have a committed an act of violence against a child in Grayson County,” Grayson County District Attorney Brett Smith told the outlet.
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Anthony Rae, 49, was arrested in 2003 in the town of Val Alstyne on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecent behavior with a child. (Grayson County District Attorney)
Investigators from the district attorney’s office renewed their efforts to locate Rae using new technology in 2018.
Rae was discovered in Britain under the name Tony Campbell by an international task force that included an investigator from Grayson County. He was arrested in Scotland in 2020, but was able to delay his extradition efforts by stating that the prison system in Texas is inhumane.
Lawyers in London alleged that the state’s prison system failed to meet international human rights standards in the housing and care of prisoners, and that conditions were dangerous for prisoners.
“We fought over COVID, we fought over prison cell size in Texas, we fought over temperature in the Texas prison system,” Smith said. “Everything they could do to avoid extradition — to prevent him from coming back to face these allegations, they threw it at us.”
A Texas man who allegedly sexually assaulted a child nearly 20 years ago is incarcerated again in the Lone Star state. (Grayson County District Attorney)
Rae was eventually returned to the US and put behind bars at the Grayson County Jail on Saturday after three years of legal battle.
According to FOX 4, the victim was beside herself when she was told that Rae, who was accused of multiple assaults on her, is jailed in Grayson County.
“I was in constant communication with her and probably the first thing she told me was that she didn’t think anyone remembered this case, and it brought tears to my eyes,” Smith said.
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After 20 years on the run, Anthony Rae was put back behind bars in a Texas prison on Saturday after three years of legal battles abroad. (Grayson County Criminal District Attorney’s Office)
Appeals to the UK Supreme Court and the European Commission of Human Rights were rejected.
“It’s a tribute to the investigators who started this,” said Lester Hayes, Homeland Security Investigations’ lead agent. “It’s been 20 years and a lot of the people who started this are now retired, or they’ve moved on, so their attention to detail is proof that we can now bring this gentleman back, and now he needs to be charged.” We now have the opportunity to close.”
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Smith said he hopes to face trial as soon as possible, adding that justice will be served despite the delay.
Texas man charged with child sexual abuse after nearly 20 years on the run
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