An American citizen previously convicted of a sex-related crime involving a minor was denied entry by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
It was learned from BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval that Matthew Stephen Gross, 36, was intercepted at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on June 16, upon arrival aboard an Eva Air flight from Taipei.
Sandoval said that Gross was excluded and immediately sent back to his port of origin under immigration exclusion proceedings.
Citing records, Sandoval said Gross was reportedly convicted in 2012 for Second-Degree Sex Abuse in the United States involving a 17-year-old victim.
The exclusion is part of the Bureau’s intensified efforts to protect vulnerable sectors, particularly children, under its flagship #ShieldKids campaign.
Sandoval said that under existing immigration rules, individuals convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude, including sexual offenses, may be denied entry for being a threat to public interest and safety.
Gross has been added to the BI’s blacklist, permanently barring him from future entry into the Philippines, she said.
