The 76-year-old man who’d been living in a suburb of San Diego for nearly three decades, served as a Boy Scout leader, and gave neighborhood children swimming lessons in his pool, has been arrested by California law enforcement authorities.
John Selas faced a San Diego judge last Wednesday and denied he is the 76-year-old fugitive named Frank who allegedly fled to Brazil in 1979 after Louisiana authorities secured a warrant for his arrest.
“It’s absolutely shocking the level of access that this guy had to children, even now,” said Steve Jurman, supervisory deputy U.S. marshal in San Diego. “If there’s a playbook for pedophiles, he checked off every single box.”
Selas had moved to California by 1985 and legally changed his last name to Szeles in 1992. Szeles had served in California as a Cub Scouts pack leader until he was removed from the position for failing to comply with the Scouting youth protections and procedures. The same thing happened with his involvement in the Mormon Church.
Yahoo News is reporting that “a company called Szeles Enterprises organized Cub Scouts day camps, swimming lessons and Saturday field trips to boys as young as 5. Jurman said investigators are confident the website belongs to the suspect.”
At this time, it is unclear if the man known as Mr. Wonder for his role on a popular children’s television show has abused any children during his 37 years as a fugitive. He vanished decades ago amid allegations that he sexually abused several kids during a camping retreat in central Louisiana.