Wanted Bay Area man arrested in Alaska
Kevin Trask, 40, of San Francisco, pulled over by officers in Fairbanks; on the run for 4 years
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A San Francisco man suspected of downloading child pornography in 2012 and eluding authorities for four years was arrested Tuesday by police at the Fairbanks International Airport, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Kevin Trask, 40, was charged by federal prosecutors in November 2012 with possession and distribution of child pornography. He was on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s top 10 most wanted list.
Trask was pulled over Tuesday by Fairbanks officers because of “faulty equipment” on his vehicle, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He initially gave officers a false identity but eventually gave his real name and said he was wanted by Homeland Security on child pornography charges.
Homeland Security agents first investigated Trask in March 2012 after he reportedly downloaded a video of child pornography through a peer-topeer network using an internet protocol address that traced back to his San Francisco residence. On May 1, 2012, federal agents executed a search warrant at that home. Within a week of the search, Trask quit his job and relocated to San Diego, advising federal agents that he was staying with family.
On Nov. 30, 2012, federal agents in San Diego tried to find Trask at two separate addresses. In January 2013, U.S. Marshals made a second attempt to find Trask in San Diego, but came up empty.
Federal prosecutors allege that Trask was involved in the sharing more than 700 images and 10 videos of child exploitation, including sex acts with toddlers. He is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transported to Northern California to face federal charges.
“This arrest wouldn’t have come had it not been for the stellar efforts of the Fairbanks Airport Police Department,” Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge for Homeland Security’s San Francisco office, said in a statement. “Their instincts and diligence led to the arrest of an HSI most wanted fugitive and could very well have saved potential young victims from future harm.”