Jon Schillaci

Infobox FBI Ten Most Wanted
name = Jon Schillaci

---

crime = Unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Aggravated felonious sexual assault, Felonious sexual assault; Possession of child pornography
(23 counts)
birth_date = birth date and age|1971|12|14
death_date =
death_place =
added_date = September 7, 2007
caught_date = June 5, 2008
remove_date =
number = 488
status = 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. [http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june08/topten_060608.html TOP TEN CAPTURE - Most Wanted Fugitive Found in Mexico] (HTML) Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on 2008-06-09]

Early life

Schillaci was born in Oklahoma and had been given up for adoption at an early age. His childhood was mostly spent in Texas. [citeweb|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324268,00.html|title=Jon Savarino Schillaci Wanted for Sexual Assault of 5-Year-Old Boy|format=HTML|publisher=Fox News|accessdate=2008-05-10] In prison, Schillaci told officials he had been abused by a relative as a child. [http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070908/FRONTPAGE/709080351 N.H. fugitive placed on most-wanted list] (HTML). Concord Monitor. Retrieved on 2008-05-10] Prior his arrest in 1989 he frequented Montrose area in Houston. [http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:NddfLczIIrMJ:www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5851186.html+chron+schillaci&hl=fi&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=fi&client=firefox-a Predator's history began in Houston] (HTML). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-07-09]

Crimes and incarceration

In 1989, then 17-year-old Schillaci and a 20-year-old man were accused of having sex with two 11-year-old twin brothers they featured in a video.Schillaci and his friend befriended the brothers, who lived in an apartment with their single mother. They took the boys out for dinner and to screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show several times.

Later, they invited the boys to Schillaci's home, showed them a film of child pornography, then forced 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 to an adult bookstore for $500.He pleaded guilty to two counts of sex performed by a child and four counts of aggravated sexual assault [citeweb|url=http://archive.seacoastonline.com/1999news/10_30d.htm|title=Local: Alleged pedophile evades officials|format=HTML|publisher=Portsmouth Herald|accessdate=2008-05-10] was convicted in April 26, 1990 [cite web|url=http://www.egov.nh.gov/nsor/display.asp?offenderID=1879|title=New Hampshire Sex Offender Registry|format=HTML|publisher=Division of State Police, New Hampshire Department of Safety|accessdate=2008-05-10] and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Schillaci has friends and family in Houston and Dallas, but never received any visitors in prison.

Schillaci submitted poetry to a New Hampshire literary magazine called "The Fishwrapper", a quasi-underground student-run publication. Deerfield, New Hampshire family also read the magazine. He contacted the family and they developed a pen pal relationship corresponding throughout his prison term.He also won first prize for poetry in PEN American Center's prisoner writing contest in 1998. [cite web|url=http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/558|title=PEN American Center - 1998-1999|format=HTML|publisher=PEN American Center|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Education

While incarcerated, Schillaci studied French and German and completed a bachelor's degree and two master's 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 an adequate guitarist. [cite web|url=http://www.rockso.org/wanted.htm|title=Rockingham County Sheriff's Office - Wanted Persons List|format=HTML|publisher=Rockingham County Sheriff's Office|accessdate=2008-05-10]

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. [citeweb|url=http://media.www.tuftsdaily.com/media/storage/paper856/news/2007/09/14/News/Former.Tufts.Student.Appears.On.Fbis.Americas.Most.Wanted.List-2969619.shtml|title=Former Tufts student appears on FBI's America's Most Wanted list|format=HTML|publisher=The Tufts Daily|accessdate=2008-05-10]

New accusations

In late October 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. The 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 was issued for his arrest 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 possession of child pornography, when approximately 300 images of child pornography were found from his computer. [citeweb|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/08/nh_fugitive_makes_10_most_wanted_list/?page=2|title=N.H. fugitive makes 10 Most Wanted list|format=HTML|publisher=The Boston Globe|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Fugitive

Schillaci was seen boarding a Greyhound Lines bus and heading south. After crossing the United States–Mexico border illegally, he was seen in a small town in Baja California, Mexico in March 2000. Before U.S. Marshals could arrive, Schillaci had fled, leaving behind allegations of improper sexual relationships with children in the town. [cite web|url=http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=45527|title=AMW.com Jon Schillaci - Fugitive|format=HTML|publisher="America's Most Wanted"|accessdate=2008-06-15] It was believed he was working in a pediatrician's office in 2000. [cite web|url=http://www.wmur.com/news/5553129/detail.html|title=Man Accused Of Assault In Deerfield Placed On FBI Wanted List|format=HTML|publisher=WMUR 9|accessdate=2008-05-10]

Schillaci was placed on Oprah Winfrey'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 May 12, 2007. The FBI offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Schillaci's capture.

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" (after a Welsh poet) 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-pedophilia website www.boychat.org. He is believed to have been in Mexico the entire time he was a fugitive, although he traveled within the country. [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iMzNzPmVQwYVbDUBsGZEszlQDKbQD914UCLG0 Molestation suspect in N.H. after Mexico arrest] (HTML) Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-06-09]

Capture

Internet watchdog group Wikisposure Project, which builds databases on pedophile activists, claims to have helped authorities after they discovered webmaster "Dylan Thomas"' real identity and Internet-connection address. The FBI wouldn't comment Wikisposure's role, saying it has a policy of not commenting on who provides information. [cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5854704.html|title=Web watchdog group helped locate predator|format=HTML|publisher=Houston Chronicle|accessdate=2008-07-09] [cite web|url=http://www.wikisposure.com/Dylan_Thomas|title=Dylan Thomas - Wikisposure|format=HTML|publisher=Wikisposure|accessdate=2008-07-09]

After being a fugitive for eight years, Schillaci was arrested in June 5, 2008 without incident. The arrest occurred 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. 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 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. Currently Schillaci is awaiting trial in Rockingham County Jail. He faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

References

External links

* [http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/schillaci_js.htm Schillaci's FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Alert]
* [http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=45527 Schillaci's profile on "America's Most Wanted"]
* [http://www.fbi.gov/page2/sept07/wanted090707.htm FBI press release announcing Schillaci's addition to the list]
* [http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june08/topten_060608.html FBI press release announcing Schillaci's capture]