Fugitive Sex Offender on the run for 5 years Captured in Mexico, Brought Back to GA

Atlanta, GA – The United States Marshals Service has captured international fugitive, and child sexual predator, Brad Hatter. Hatter has been returned to the United States to face justice.

In December 2005 in Gwinnett County, Brad A. Hatter (58) was arrested for attempting to meet a 9-year-old girl for sexual activity. Hatter organized this encounter online and then went to the planned rendezvous location, where he was apprehended. In May of 2007, he was convicted of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and sentenced to 108 months in prison. He was released from detention in September 2017 with the legal requirement to register as a sex offender and report to a supervising Federal Probation officer. On January 21st, 2018, Hatter allegedly stopped reporting to his probation officer, stopped registering as a sex offender, and went into hiding. 

Immediately, probation officials contacted the U.S. Marshals, who began their hunt. During the five-year search for Hatter, information was developed that he had left the United States and traveled to the Philippines. Later, he was located in Mexico—where he worked as a teacher. On December 3rd, 2022, with the investigative assistance of the United States Marshals Service and after a brief pursuit, Hatter was apprehended by Mexican authorities.

On December 4th, 2022, Hatter was returned to the United States and immediately placed into detention, where he now resides.

About the investigation and capture, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia Thomas Brown said, “Since 2018, Mr. Hatter has been looking over his shoulder, knowing one day Deputy United States Marshals would find him. On Saturday December 3rd, that day arrived. The U.S. Marshals would not give up their hunt. Hatter is now back where he belongs, in the custody of the United States Government.”

The U.S. Marshals Service is the primary federal agency charged with conducting fugitive investigations throughout the country. The U.S. Marshals Service regularly works in concert with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sex offenders. The U.S. Marshals Service has established task forces throughout the nation, and professional relationships worldwide, to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives.