Fugitive teacher is arrested in Russia for ‘raping disabled boy’

Teacher wanted in the US for molesting children is arrested in Russia after mother catches him ‘raping her disabled nine-year-old son’

• Bjorn West, 47, from Tennessee, was taken into custody in St Petersburg, Russia 
• He was arrested after a woman described a suspect she saw raping her son
• The youngster was born deaf and mute meaning he wasn’t able to cry for help 
• It was only after his arrest that Russian police discovered West is wanted in US 

A fugitive American teacher has been arrested in Russia for allegedly raping a severely disabled nine-year-old boy in front of his mother.

Bjorn West, 47, was taken into custody after the woman described the suspect to police in St Petersburg.

She reportedly told police she saw him raping her son, who was born deaf and mute, meaning he couldn’t scream for help.

West, who was working as an English teacher in a nearby Russian private language school for adults, has been on the run for six years after being accused of molesting two minors in his native Tennessee.

Bjorn West after his arrest for allegedly raping a severely disabled nine-year-old boy in front of his mother

The devastated mother, who has not been identified, said she had taken her son to Dolgoe Lake in St Petersburg for a walk.

She was holding his hand as they walked, but the boy decided he wanted to run alone so she let go of his hand.

After turning her back for a few minutes, she lost track of the boy.

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She said after searching for her son for 15 minutes, she found him off the beaten track being raped by the suspect, who then ran off when she yelled.

She called the police who identified the alleged attacker as West from her description, according to reports.

West (pictured in a booking photo taken between 1989 and 1992) has reportedly been on the run for six years after being accused of molesting two minors in his native Tennessee

A profile for Bjorn West from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s website classes him as an ‘offender against children’

Officers arrested West in his apartment nearby and it was only after he was in custody that police learned about him being wanted in the US.

Police are now appealing for any other victims to come forward as they believe there may be more.

American authorities, who are working with their Russian counterparts, say West was last seen in the US in the summer of 2012.

US police say he is still wanted for at least two crimes against children under the age of 14 – one dating back to December 1989 and the other from June 1992.

Under Russian law, West could face up to 20 years behind bars for abuse against a minor.

But if more victims come forward, he could be looking at a life sentence if found guilty. 

Dolgoe Lake in St Petersburg, where the devastated mother, who has not been identified, had taken her son for a walk

 

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