U.S. Marshals Add Escapee to 15 Most Wanted

Fugitive serving time for multiple counts of child sexual assault

Washington – The U.S. Marshals Service added convicted sex offender and escapee Kevin Patrick Stoeser to its 15 Most Wanted fugitive list today.

Stoeser, a former member of the U.S. Army, escaped from the Austin Transitional Center, a residential reentry center (halfway house) in Del Valle, Texas. He was serving the remainder of a 156-month sentence for four counts of child sexual assault and one count of possession of child pornography. He pled guilty to the charges in 2003, and as a result, was dishonorably discharged from the Army. A behavioral assessment conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service Behavioral Analysis Unit classifies Stoeser as high risk and likely to re-offend. Given his background, Stoeser is sexually dangerous and poses a significant risk to the community.

“Stoeser is a malicious individual who abused innocent children on multiple occasions. His escape represents a threat to public safety,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia A. Hylton. “His egregious crimes earned him a place on our 15 Most Wanted list which is reserved for the most violent and dangerous fugitives.”

Staff members of the halfway house confiscated an unauthorized smart phone from Stoeser Oct. 24, 2013. Staff members found approximately 26 images of underage children contained within the smart phone. Following the discovery, Stoeser immediately fled the halfway house through an emergency exit and has remained on the lam since.

“Due to Stoeser's predatory criminal conduct, and the strong likelihood that he will re-offend, his continued freedom in our communities will pose the highest degree of danger to our children if he is not apprehended and held to account for his heinous and predatory crimes,” said Robert R. Almonte, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas.

Stoeser has a history of sexual assault dating back to 2001, to include illegal possession of child pornography, indecent acts, sodomy and rape by force. He has committed numerous known crimes involving sexual assault against at least five known minors and his behavior is considered predatory.

Stoeser, 41, is a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He is 5’9” tall and weighs 170 pounds. He has several tattoos including: “Kayla” intertwined with barbed wire on his left upper arm; “Khaos” and “Stoeser” on his chest; barbed wire designs on his right arm; and a naked female on his right calf.

Stoeser is known to use aliases such as Patrick Kevin Stoeser, Patrick Stoeser, Mark Johnson, Kevin Johnson and Jason Thompson.

A reward of up to $25,000 is offered for information leading directly to Stoeser’s arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102. Tips may also be emailed to usms.wanted@usdoj.gov