South African authorities have arrested a US fugitive in Gqeberha who faces serious charges of child sexual abuse in America. The coordinated operation by INTERPOL SA and the South African Police Service (SAPS) ended years of evasion for the 56-year-old suspect.

Police detained Robert Lee Redd Junior at his home in Kabega Park on 27 May 2026. INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Pretoria traced the suspect and executed a Section 5(1)(b) warrant after the United States submitted an extradition request.

SAPS officers, supported by the Nelson Mandela Bay Detective Task Team, Crime Combating Unit and Mount Road Crime Intelligence, carried out the arrest. The operation demonstrates effective cross-border cooperation in fugitive cases.

Background: Allegations Date Back to 2017 in Texas

US authorities want Redd for the alleged rape and sexual assault of his daughter. The victim’s mother reported the case to San Antonio Police Department in 2017 when the girl was 12 years old. The suspect allegedly fled the United States shortly after the allegations surfaced and settled in the Eastern Cape.

Court Appearance Set for Today

Redd will appear in the Gqeberha Magistrates’ Court today, 29 May 2026, where the United States will seek his extradition. He remains in custody pending the outcome of the proceedings.