Phoenix police have announced the capture of Glenn Bales, a fugitive who skipped bail on child pornography charges and fled to Mexico. Bales, 51, was initially arrested in November 2018 on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. After his arrest, he bonded out of jail and was placed under electronic monitoring.

In 2020, Bales violated the conditions of his release by cutting off his ankle monitor and fleeing Arizona. A warrant was issued for his arrest, prompting the FBI Phoenix/Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Task Force to launch a federal fugitive investigation.

Investigators tracked Bales to Mexico, where he was living under the alias “Jacob Spade.” He was located and positively identified by the task force, leading to his arrest on the outstanding U.S. warrant.

Bales was flown to Los Angeles following his capture and subsequently transferred to Phoenix by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies. He is now in custody and facing a $1 million cash bond as ordered by a judge on Tuesday.

Last month, French authorities dismantled a massive international child pornography network, arresting 95 individuals as part of an investigation led by the National Gendarmerie. This operation, launched last year, underscores the growing threat posed by the ease of access and exchange of illicit material via social networks and encrypted platforms.

During the crackdown, law enforcement seized a staggering 217 terabytes of data, including 375,000 photos and 156,000 videos stored on 122 computers, 152 smartphones, and 330 other digital devices.

Among those arrested were a youth organization director, a sports instructor, and even a deputy mayor. Many of the suspects, aged 18 to 74, admitted their guilt, with 36 already known to police for prior offenses involving child exploitation.

Colonel Hervé Petry of the National Cyber Unit highlighted the alarming ease with which such material is now circulated. “Thanks to the rise of social networks, this has taken on a truly worrying dimension,” Petry said, emphasizing how predators can quickly access and share content while potentially posing direct threats to children.