- NEWS RELEASE -

Date: June 7, 2006

Subject: Prosecutor gains INTERPOL help to locate Internet fugitive

Platte County’s Cyber Crimes Unit has been joined by the international police organization INTERPOL in an effort to track down a fugitive charged with using the Internet to lure a child for sex. Frederic Jean Philippe, 39, a French citizen, fled the United States after being charged with child enticement by Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.

Zahnd said, “When we accuse a person of using the World Wide Web to try to sexually abuse a child, we will use world wide police resources to hunt that person down. With the help of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL has issued a ‘Red Notice’ to arrest this man so he can be extradited to the United States to face the charges against him.”

Zahnd’s office received official notification June 6 that the United States Central Bureau of INTERPOL had approved a ‘Red Notice’ for Philippe. Philippe was charged by Zahnd's office on February 23, 2005 for child enticement. If convicted of the charge, Philippe faces up to seven years in prison.

According to Zahnd, an INTERPOL Red Notice is similar to a domestic APB, or all points bulletin. It alerts all 184 INTERPOL member nations that the United States is seeking a fugitive. It further asks those nations to locate and arrest the fugitive for the purpose of extradition to the United States.

Court documents indicate Philippe engaged in an instant message chat with a Platte County Deputy Sheriff assigned to the County's Cyber Crimes Unit on February 17 and 18, 2005. The deputy was posing as a 14-year-old girl.

The chats became sexual in nature. According to the Red Notice, Philippe told the “girl” he had previously met with another 15-year-old girl for sex. On February 18, Philippe arranged for a taxi cab to meet the girl to take her to his bakery in Prairie Village. Philippe was arrested later that night.

Because Philippe was a French citizen, Zahnd said his office asked the court to require Philippe to surrender his passport, which Philippe did. However, Philippe failed to appear in court for an April 20 hearing, and prosecutors learned that Philippe had absconded and returned to France.

A warrant was issued for Philippe's arrest, and Zahnd's office contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to request that INTERPOL be notified that Philippe was a fugitive.

Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries.

Zahnd said, “I want this man to face the allegations we have leveled against him. Not only has he been charged with using the Internet to try to entice a child for sex, but he has said he had a sexual relationship with another 15-year-old girl. We hope the assistance of the many nations who are members of INTERPOL will lead to this man's apprehension so he can be prosecuted in Platte County.”

The case against Philippe is being investigated by Sheriff's Department detectives with the Platte County's Cyber Crimes Unit and is being prosecuted by Myles Perry, who is the assistant prosecutor assigned to that unit.

The charge against Philippe is merely an accusation, and Philippe is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.