Suspect arrested in Philippines for 1989 Florida child rape

A 69-year-old man has been apprehended in the Philippines nearly four decades after allegedly abducting and raping a seven-year-old girl in Tampa, Florida.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Philippines confirmed that Young Tom Talmadge was arrested on 23 April at his residence in Cavite.

The arrest follows a warrant issued by the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Hillsborough County in March 2025.

The suspect had remained unidentified since the 1989 attack until a breakthrough was achieved through genealogical research and preserved DNA evidence.

The alleged incident occurred at a bowling alley, where Talmadge reportedly lured the young victim to his vehicle with coins for arcade games before sexually battering her.

According to police reports, he subsequently abandoned the child at a different bowling alley, where she was later discovered.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed the DNA match, leading US Homeland Security Investigations to coordinate with the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit.

Talmadge now faces several grave charges, including kidnapping to commit a felony and sexual battery on a victim under twelve.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated that "foreign fugitives who commit crimes against children will find no refuge here," noting the arrest was part of the #ShieldKids campaign.

While Talmadge remains in Philippine custody, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office confirmed that extradition proceedings to the United States are currently pending.

This arrest follows years of technological advancement in forensic science, which has allowed investigators to revisit cold cases that were previously considered unsolvable due to a lack of identifiable leads at the time.