An American, who has been reportedly convicted in the United States for online sexual exploitation of a child, was barred from entering the Philippines last Sunday, Oct. 1, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. 

The BI identified the foreiner as Ronald Huy Young, 54, who arrived from Honolulu, Hawaii.

“Young was denied entry by the immigration for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.  In the said law, foreign nationals who have been previously convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude are inadmissible in the Philippines,” it said.

“Records of the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center show that Young pleaded guilty to electronic enticement of a child in the first degree.  He was sentenced by the first circuit court in the State of Hawaii to ten (10) years in prison last 2008, and was included in the state’s sex registry,” it also said. 

It said the Young will be included in the bureau's records of blacklisted foreigners.

“The law is very clear in its intent to protect Filipinos from foreigners who might be engaged in sex tourism and may prey upon the vulnerable,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement.  

“Aliens with such criminal records are barred from entering our country,” Tansingco stressed.