American To Be Extradited For Unlawful Flight To Avoid Prosecution

[JLester]

FBI: Dad Who Took Child Arrested In Thailand

Father Faces Federal Charges

WYFF News Television Channel

June 8, 2010

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A Greenville man accused of taking his 3-year-old to Thailand in violation of a custody order more than a year ago has been taken into custody in Phuket.

Samuel Lee Horton, 38, is being escorted back to the United States by FBI special agents. He was located in Phuket on Monday. Horton is expected to arrive in Los Angeles Wednesday night and is expected to make a court appearance on Thursday.

Investigators said Horton was charged by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office with violating a custody order involving his child on May 5, 2009.

After investigators learned that Horton had taken the child out of the country, a federal warrant for his arrest for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued.

Further investigation into the matter led to the issuance of a federal grand jury indictment for fraud in connection with a passport he secured for the child.

Horton faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted of these offenses.

Assistant U. S. Attorney David Stephens commended FBI Special Agent Lisa Quillen for her efforts in locating Horton and insuring the safe return of the child.

FBI: Dad Who Took Child Arrested In Thailand - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville

[JLester]

An earlier video posted regarding this case:

INTERPOL's Most Wanted - Criminal Tracker Alert for SAMUEL LEE HORTON,on the charge of kidnapping

INTERPOL's Most Wanted - Criminal Tracker Alert on Yahoo! Video

[ukrules]

Wow, I will sleep much better tonight knowing this evil man is going to spend ten years in prison for annoying his wife.

[SeanPhuket]

I worked with Sam during his stay for a while.

He was a good guy and a great father!

I wish fortune be on his side!

[Berkshire]

"Horton faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted of these offenses."

Man, this really is a miscarriage of justice. This poor guy is "kidnapping" his own kid. I can think of many, many much worse offenses. I understand US custody laws and all, but there has to be a better way. Incidentally, I hope this thread doesn't get hi-jacked into another Thai bashing episode. This is clearly between the American government and an American citizen.

[Buchholz]

US dad nabbed in Phuket gets 10 years for passport fraud

PHUKET: An American father arrested in Phuket in June last year has been sentenced by a US federal court to 10 years in prison for forging documents needed to illegally bring his daughter to Thailand, according to a US media report.

Samuel Lee Horton, 38, was arrested by FBI agents in Phuket in June 2010 for violation of an outstanding child custody order.

During his stay in Phuket, he told his three-year-old daughter Zoei that her mother had died, reported MSNBC news affiliate WYFF4 at the time of his arrest.

Horton was yesterday sentenced to serve the maximum possible sentence of 10 years for passport fraud, followed by three years of probation, said the WYFF4 report.

Horton earlier pleaded guilty to charges of forging his ex-wife’s signature on his daughter’s passport application, a serious offense under US law.

Horton’s ex-wife Cindy now has full custody of their daughter and son, and Horton has been stripped of his parental rights.

The attorney representing Cindy Horton said Samuel claimed he was taking their daughter to Disney World, but instead took her to Thailand.

He is expected to plead guilty to an additional charge of violating the custody order still pending against him in the South Carolina court system.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-04-30

[Buchholz]

Dad Who Took Child To Thailand Sentenced

Judge Gives Samuel Horton Maximum Sentence

A 38-year-old Greenville man was sentenced in federal court Friday for taking his child to Thailand, where he told her for several months that her mother had died, investigators said. Samuel Lee Horton had pleaded guilty to falsifying a document to get a passport for his then-3-year-old daughter.

Horton was sentenced to serve the maximum possible sentence of 10 years for passport fraud, followed by three years of supervised release. On June 9, Horton was escorted back to the United States by FBI special agents. Horton was taken into custody in June 2010 in Phuket, Thailand, after violating a custody order more than a year before. He was in federal court in Greenville on Tuesday.

Horton's ex-wife has custody of their daughter and son. He had been allowed visitation with the children. Janis Richardson Hall, the attorney representing the child's mother, Cindy Horton, said Samuel Horton had claimed that he was taking their daughter to Disney World, but instead took her to Thailand. Horton admitted he forged his ex-wife's signature last year to get a passport for his daughter, Zoie. Hall said for the year that Zoie was with her father, he told the child her mother was dead.

Read more:

http://www.wyff4.com/news/27722742/detail.html#ixzz1L3pOugNR

WYYF Television News (Greenville, South Carolina, USA)

[jdinasia]

He pled guilty and still got the max! Good on the US Judicial system!!

[Buchholz]

He pled guilty and still got the max! Good on the US Judicial system!!

Federal conviction.

No parole.

10 year sentence means 3,650 days in prison.

He also still faces state charges in South Carolina when that's finished.

[gregb]

It really is too bad. I can understand both sides of this problem. Parents will often risk anything for their children. Still, it isn't right to deprive the child of his mother any more than it is right to deprive the child of his father.

This was extremely poor judgement on his part, but I hardly think 10 years in prison is an appropriate punishment. That is simply making the child's life even worse. It is just too bad there isn't a better way, and that parents become so vindictive that they can't see the best interests of the child. Thailand has its share of problems as well, but for all that I think the system of custody rights here is probably more balanced.

[lannarebirth]

Thousands of Americans losing their homes by use of forged documents that are rubber stamped by these same courts. What a travesty of a justice system.

[jdinasia]

It really is too bad. I can understand both sides of this problem. Parents will often risk anything for their children. Still, it isn't right to deprive the child of his mother any more than it is right to deprive the child of his father.

This was extremely poor judgement on his part, but I hardly think 10 years in prison is an appropriate punishment. That is simply making the child's life even worse. It is just too bad there isn't a better way, and that parents become so vindictive that they can't see the best interests of the child. Thailand has its share of problems as well, but for all that I think the system of custody rights here is probably more balanced.

For "kidnapping" ( custodial interference ) AND telling the child that her mother was DEAD? 10 years seems a light sentence to me.

[ChristopherWilliamsBKK]

Wow, I will sleep much better tonight knowing this evil man is going to spend ten years in prison for annoying his wife.

[DP25]

Really bad idea to commit any sort of crime involving US passports these days, they will smash you

[gregb]

It really is too bad. I can understand both sides of this problem. Parents will often risk anything for their children. Still, it isn't right to deprive the child of his mother any more than it is right to deprive the child of his father.

This was extremely poor judgement on his part, but I hardly think 10 years in prison is an appropriate punishment. That is simply making the child's life even worse. It is just too bad there isn't a better way, and that parents become so vindictive that they can't see the best interests of the child. Thailand has its share of problems as well, but for all that I think the system of custody rights here is probably more balanced.

For "kidnapping" ( custodial interference ) AND telling the child that her mother was DEAD? 10 years seems a light sentence to me.

I will grant you that a lie of that magnitude to your child is a horrible thing to do. But a 10 year prison sentence isn't going to make the situation any better. I am sure he was trying to protect himself. People would ask the child where is your mother, and that lie would give a simple answer. It was extremely wrong to deprive the child of his mother, but throwing the book at him won't fix the fundamental problems inherent in the child custody system. We have no idea what perceived injustices he may have suffered to cause him to go to such lengths. It could be that you are correct and he is simply a horrible person who is better off dead. But it is equally possible he is simply a loving father who was blinded by hate for the person and the system he saw as iniquitous.

I don't have an answer either, but it seems to me this isn't helpful. Maybe the rule should be both parents get locked up until they start to see how they are damaging the kids.

[jdinasia]

I will grant you that a lie of that magnitude to your child is a horrible thing to do. But a 10 year prison sentence isn't going to make the situation any better. I am sure he was trying to protect himself. People would ask the child where is your mother, and that lie would give a simple answer. It was extremely wrong to deprive the child of his mother, but throwing the book at him won't fix the fundamental problems inherent in the child custody system. We have no idea what perceived injustices he may have suffered to cause him to go to such lengths. It could be that you are correct and he is simply a horrible person who is better off dead. But it is equally possible he is simply a loving father who was blinded by hate for the person and the system he saw as iniquitous.

I don't have an answer either, but it seems to me this isn't helpful. Maybe the rule should be both parents get locked up until they start to see how they are damaging the kids.

Wherever your moral stance takes you, the damage done to the child by the FATHER, and all the child's likely future dealings with any meaningful relationship in her life indicates to me that the 10 year sentence is not only appropriate, but could possibly benefit the child. The only facts we know are that the man stole the child then told the child his mother was dead. Even if the child's mother was a 2o$ crackwhore there is no justification for what was done.

[mstribling]

Poor guy.

[farang000999]

Justice, American Style.

[gregb]

I will grant you that a lie of that magnitude to your child is a horrible thing to do. But a 10 year prison sentence isn't going to make the situation any better. I am sure he was trying to protect himself. People would ask the child where is your mother, and that lie would give a simple answer. It was extremely wrong to deprive the child of his mother, but throwing the book at him won't fix the fundamental problems inherent in the child custody system. We have no idea what perceived injustices he may have suffered to cause him to go to such lengths. It could be that you are correct and he is simply a horrible person who is better off dead. But it is equally possible he is simply a loving father who was blinded by hate for the person and the system he saw as iniquitous.

I don't have an answer either, but it seems to me this isn't helpful. Maybe the rule should be both parents get locked up until they start to see how they are damaging the kids.

Wherever your moral stance takes you, the damage done to the child by the FATHER, and all the child's likely future dealings with any meaningful relationship in her life indicates to me that the 10 year sentence is not only appropriate, but could possibly benefit the child. The only facts we know are that the man stole the child then told the child his mother was dead. Even if the child's mother was a 2o$ crackwhore there is no justification for what was done.

Agreed. There was no justification (actually, if she was truly a crackwhore and the child's life was in danger I may disagree with you, but I digress). Somehow though I can't imagine anyone who has ever been a parent displaying as little empathy as you seem to show in this instance. I don't agree with what he did, but I can envision a situation where I may become so emotionally distraught over losing my child I did something equally stupid. There is a thread in the Family section about a poor woman in the UK whose husband is in a Thai jail because he "did something stupid" trying to rescue his child from a mother who allegedly threatened his life. I would suspect this situation may not be as severe, but when it is your child things that appear inconsequential to an impartial observer may mean the world to you. I just hope that I am never put in a position where I may crack like that, and should anything ever happen that I always keep the best interests of my children in mind.

I don't know whether your hatred of this man is justified or not, but I have a hard time believing that sending him to prison for 10 years is going to make that poor child's life any better. Damage was already done to the child during the divorce, then it was compounded by the father, and now it has been compounded further by the justice system. He does deserve to be punished. He should spend some time in jail. I just disagree that he deserves to be destroyed.

Edited April 30, 2011 by gregb

[AndyBlueEyes]

Without knowing the exact details of his case, it is impossible to make an informed comment on this case. In most states in the US, the cards are so highly stacked against the male in any child custody case that is ieasy to understand why some fathers resort to irrational acts in what they perceive to be an attermpt to save their children from a poor parent. His biggest mistake was violating Federal laws which sometime carry mandatory sentences.

[jdinasia]

gregb --- there is no "hatred" on my part, there is also no sympathy. The guy deserves the sentence imho and defending him or diminishing the probable consequences of his actions on the child's future relationships is imho (yet again) deplorable.

edit to add --- I would have the same position had it been a woman that had stolen her child and then lied to say that the father was dead.

note --- he appears to have escaped a federal kidnapping charge and thus a 25-life sentence (I think)

Edited April 30, 2011 by jdinasia

[Beetlejuice]

Very sad for this man. It appears they are throwing the book at him.

Is this justice or what? Rapists and murderers have gotten lesser sentences.

Even the FBI are involved; he must be a most dangerous criminal and a big threat to society.

This really makes me so happy that I am in Thailand and away from all the BS bureaucracy of the West.

Women's rights, human rights, so what are a fathers rights?

This woman Cindy really wants her pound of flesh and it appears the state are giving her full backing to make sure she gets it.

I have known similar cases where the fathers have been denied access to their children. In the end the children grow up hating their mother`s for what they done.

True justice will be served later on, natural justice that is.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Beetlejuice

[jdinasia]

Very sad for this man. It appears they are throwing the book at him.

Is this justice or what? Rapists and murderers have gotten lesser sentences.

Even the FBI are involved; he must be a most dangerous criminal and a big threat to society.

This really makes me so happy that I am in Thailand and away from all the BS bureaucracy of the West.

Women's rights, human rights, so what are a fathers rights?

This woman Cindy really wants her pound of flesh and it appears the state are giving her full backing to make sure she gets it.

I have known similar cases where the fathers have been denied access to their children. In the end the children grow up hating their mother`s for what they done.

True justice will be served later on, natural justice that is.

How can you overlook kidnapping? The FBI would be involved because it is a kidnapping. That the charges pressed were much lighter would suggest a plea-bargain. The wife has no say in what the Federal prosecutors do. I am amazed that you think the child would grow up hating the father when HE is the one that told the child her mother was dead! I am ALL for father's rights but this isn't a "rights" issue. It is kidnapping into a foreign country. If the father was smart he would have gone to a non-extradition country but he'd still be wrong.

[sbk]

There is a thread in the Family section about a poor woman in the UK whose husband is in a Thai jail because he "did something stupid" trying to rescue his child from a mother who allegedly threatened his life. I would suspect this situation may not be as severe

This assumption is based on what information?

And please note that the 10 year sentence is not for the kidnapping charge but for forgery and fraud.

[jdinasia]

There is a thread in the Family section about a poor woman in the UK whose husband is in a Thai jail because he "did something stupid" trying to rescue his child from a mother who allegedly threatened his life. I would suspect this situation may not be as severe

This assumption is based on what information?

And please note that the 10 year sentence is not for the kidnapping charge but for forgery and fraud.

The result of the plea bargain and pleading guilty on the lesser charges I assume. If (and I could be wrong) I remember correctly the Federal Sentencing Guidelines on kidnapping state 25 years to life.

[Boo]

the mother couldn't have been withholding visitation from him & in fact seems to have been quite accommodating considering he abducted the girl whilst he was supposed to be taking her to Disneyland. so how the f do some of you claim this is a reaction to a bitter custody or that she is getting her pound of flesh. if she was being so nasty to him he would have had zero visitation or at the very least, supervised & not freely able to take the child to Disneyland alone.

He planned this vindictive act well in advance, forging signatures, applying for the child's passport & evidently arranging it all well enough to be able to live in a country far away for a year.

if my husband took my son to another country told him I was dead & tried to keep him from me I would do everything in my power to keep him away from the child for the rest of his life. what happened in this case was sick, wrong & spiteful. to the child as well as the mother.

[Beetlejuice]

Very sad for this man. It appears they are throwing the book at him.

Is this justice or what? Rapists and murderers have gotten lesser sentences.

Even the FBI are involved; he must be a most dangerous criminal and a big threat to society.

This really makes me so happy that I am in Thailand and away from all the BS bureaucracy of the West.

Women's rights, human rights, so what are a fathers rights?

This woman Cindy really wants her pound of flesh and it appears the state are giving her full backing to make sure she gets it.

I have known similar cases where the fathers have been denied access to their children. In the end the children grow up hating their mother`s for what they done.

True justice will be served later on, natural justice that is.

How can you overlook kidnapping? The FBI would be involved because it is a kidnapping. That the charges pressed were much lighter would suggest a plea-bargain. The wife has no say in what the Federal prosecutors do. I am amazed that you think the child would grow up hating the father when HE is the one that told the child her mother was dead! I am ALL for father's rights but this isn't a "rights" issue. It is kidnapping into a foreign country. If the father was smart he would have gone to a non-extradition country but he'd still be wrong.

Oh dear, sorry, I do not believe the child will grow up hating the father, quite the opposite in fact.

I do not consider this as a case of kidnapping in the true sense and believe that this man's sentence is way too severe. After all the child is 50% his, created from his sperm and a part of him.

His life has been destroyed just for wanting to be with his child full time.

I know about visitation orders, I have been in that situation myself. Not all cut and dry as may appear. Sometimes the mother will make the situation almost impossible for the father of the child. Such as having her abusive parents present, other relatives or friends. I've been there and know how distressing this can be for the father.

In the end the man took a gamble by refusing to comply with the legal system in America, which is all geared for the benefit of the mother, and he lost.

I do not consider this man as a criminal, not by one iota and know whose side I am on, which is my prerogative and how I view the matter.

Parents that divorce should love the child more than they hate each other. The child must not be used as a pawn to score brownie points against an ex spouse.

As I said previous, natural justice will prevail.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Beetlejuice

[ChristopherWilliamsBKK]

There is a thread in the Family section about a poor woman in the UK whose husband is in a Thai jail because he "did something stupid" trying to rescue his child from a mother who allegedly threatened his life. I would suspect this situation may not be as severe

This assumption is based on what information?

And please note that the 10 year sentence is not for the kidnapping charge but for forgery and fraud.

The result of the plea bargain and pleading guilty on the lesser charges I assume. If (and I could be wrong) I remember correctly the Federal Sentencing Guidelines on kidnapping state 25 years to life.

A man runs with his kid - not knowing what else to do.

The criminal 1984 style US gov. engineer a 10 year sentence for fraud.

Disgusting.

Time for an American Revolution

[jdinasia]

Oh dear, sorry, I do not believe the child will grow up hating the father, quite the opposite in fact.

I do not consider this as a case of kidnapping in the true sense and believe that this man's sentence is way too severe. His life has been destroyed just for wanting to be with his child full time.

I know about visitation orders, I have been in that situation myself. Not all cut and dry as may appear. Sometimes the mother will make the situation almost impossible for the father of the child. Such as having her abusive parents present, other relatives or friends. I've been there and know how distressing this can be for the father.

In the end the man took a gamble by refusing to comply with the legal system in America, which is all geared for the benefit of the mother, and he lost.

I do not consider this man as a criminal, not by one iota and know whose side I am on, which is my prerogative and how I view the matter.

As I said previous, natural justice will prevail in the end

HUH?

He stole the child ... told her that her mother was DEAD and you think the child will blame the mother? The legal system in the US isn't an issue in a situation where the father violated federal law and of course he is a criminal. He pled GUILTY! None of us know the situation before he kidnaped the kid. His life has not been destroyed by the courts, he is simply getting the punishment (minimal) for a serious crime. There was no talk about visitation orders etc ... you are simply projecting something not stated into the discussion. I am thinking that had it been the mother that kidnapped a child and fled the country you would not feel the same way .... perhaps as you stated, based upon your experience.

[Boo]

I know about visitation orders, I have been in that situation myself. Not all cut and dry as may appear. Sometimes the mother will make the situation almost impossible for the father of the child. Such as having her abusive parents present, other relatives or friends. I’ve been there and know how distressing this can be for the father.

where in any of the reports is it mentioned he was not given his rightful visitations. the mother was letting him take the girl to Disney. hardly the actions of someone making access difficult imo.

amazing how many people are trying to justify this crime, against the laws of the US & against the child.