Jun 6, 2008 6:06 pm US/Eastern
NH Fugitive On FBI's Most Wanted List, Captured
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Jon Savarino Schillaci was featured on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, alongside the likes of Osama Bin Laden and Whitey Bulger. But he was not a terrorist or a mobster. Authorities say he is one of the country's most dangerous sex offenders, wanted for assaulting a child in New Hampshire.
After nine years on the run, Schillaci was captured Thursday in Mexico. He was flown back to New Hampshire to face charges, and appeared in the Rockingham County Courthouse.
Schillaci was arrested in San Jose de Gracia, according to New Hampshire U.S. Attorney Thomas Colantuono's office. Spokeswoman Linda Tomlinson said Mexican authorities and the FBI arrested Schillaci without incident.
The FBI offered a $100,000 reward for Schillaci's capture when he was added to their Most Wanted list last September. He has been featured three times on the television show America's Most Wanted.
Schillaci is accused of molesting a young boy in Deerfield, New Hampshire in 1999. According to the FBI Schillaci previously served time in a Texas prison for child molestation. While in prison he corresponded with a family from Deerfield and gained their trust. When he was released, according to the FBI, that family offered him a place to live. It is while living with that family that Schillaci allegedly assaulted their 5-year-old son.
"We put Schillaci on the top ten list because we saw such a heinous violation of trust," said FBI Special Agent Warren Bamford. "We have a family who brought someone into their home and took them in their darkest hour coming out of prision, and he violated that trust."
Prosecutors say Schillaci was serving time in Texas for raping two children when he contacted the New Hampshire family.
"There are a lot of wonderful people out there that want to help people who are in trouble and help people who rehabilitate themselves," said attorney Tom Reid.
After the boy told his parents of the abuse, Schillaci fled to Mexico. He was living in Guadalajara, Mexico from February 2003 until September 2006 under the alias Dylan Natchitoches Pierce, aka Dylan N. Pierce, FBI officials said.
The FBI says Schillaci was the webmaster of a pedophile Web site. He also operated under the alias Dylan Thomas as "DJ" for the boychat-associated web-based radio show called "The Dylan Thomas Show," FBI officials said.
At his arraignment in a Rockingham County courthouse Friday afternoon, Schillaci charged of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and possession of child pornography.
Before fleeing, Schillaci was charged in September 2000 with 23 counts of possession of child porn.
Schillaci now faces life in prison with no chance of parole if convicted.
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