A convicted child rapist who was deported from the UK has been arrested after attempting to claim Universal Credit. Sebastian Pavel Baltatu, 24, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 for raping a child under 13, and was deported the following year.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said checks by its Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU) revealed Baltatu had unlawfully returned to the UK and was living in Manchester. He was tracked down to an address in Gorton after filing a Universal Credit claim, and was arrested last month.
Baltatu appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, April 17, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to five breaches of his sex offender notification requirements and one breach of a deportation order. He now faces deportation for a second time.
Detective Sergeant Daniel Sanchez of GMP's Public Protection Department said: 'Sebastian Baltatu poses a clear and ongoing risk to the public, particularly to children, and it was vital that he was located and brought before the courts.' He added that officers are proactively reviewing sex offenders believed to be living overseas to ensure they have not returned to the UK.
