JOHANNESBURG – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of $10,000 (R121,000) as part of a renewed global manhunt for an alleged child molester and rapist it believes could be living in South Africa.
On its website, the FBI said Barrett Preston Busschau (42) disappeared from the state of Oregon in 1993 after he was charged by a Clackamas County grand jury with the alleged sexual abuse of five girls between the ages of 10 and 15. He was 18-years-old at the time.
The US law enforcement agency is now running advertisements on Facebook in both Portland and in South Africa, using an age-progressed photo of what Busschau may look like now.
Busschau was born in South Africa but had been living in the US as a permanent resident since 1984.
He was released pending his trial, but he fled before his next court appearance.
While investigators believe he may have travelled to California and/or Panama following his disappearance, the last known sighting of him was in South Africa.
He is described as having brown hair and blue eyes with scars on his left ankle, left arm and upper right arm.
“He also has a tattoo of a green and purple yin-yang symbol with a wavy line and two dots on his right ankle,” the FBI said.
Investigators also believe there may be people living in the Portland-metro area who have information that could help lead to his capture.
Tip-offs can be reported to the US Embassy in Pretoria on 012 431 4000 or the FBI’s website.
