Convicted Sex Offender Who Faked His Death, Started New Life, Caught After 13 Years

While investigators determined that Anthony Lennon had used multiple identities in his decade-plus on the run, he was living as "Justin Phillips" in Canton, New York when he was taken into custody at around 6 p.m. on Thursday, per NNY360.

Dustin Hortskoetter was among those expressing relief at Lennon's arrest. The former detective with the Moore Police Department, who'd been involved in the original case, told ABC affiliate KOCO, "It just sticks with you. There are just some really bad people you deal with, and he was one of the worst that I dealt with."

As for the arrest, he said that when he got the word Lennon had been apprehended he got "chill bumps. I got them right now, just thinking about it."

In July, Lennon had been added to the 10 Most Wanted list in Oklahoma by Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who also touted the arrest with a statement on his office's website.

"I appreciate the thorough investigative work by the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Moore Police Department and all of the law enforcement agencies involved in locating and apprehending this child predator," Drummond said. "He evaded justice for far too long but will now face the consequences of his actions."

In 2008, Moore was first convicted in Cleveland County on five counts of aggravated possession of child pornography following an investigation by the Norman Police Department, per the AG's release. A friend reported to authorities uncovering approximately "50 gigabytes of images of graphic child pornography," the statement added. He received a 20-year suspended sentence, per CrimeOnline.

Lennon was then found to be in violation of his probation by using a computer, leading prosecutors to seek revocation in 2011. Moore Police Chief Todd Gibson told reporters on Friday that a second wave of images on this computer "depicted violent rape and sexual assault of children, and specifically infants," per NNY360. He said that Lennon's arrest last week "marks the closing of a long chapter for our community."

Cleveland County District Attorney Jennifer Austin, who also spoke after Lennon's arrest, said that he'd been facing an additional eight charges of felony possession of child pornography at the time of his disappearance in 2012 for these new images uncovered after he'd allegedly violated his probation.

The new charges were filed March 7, 2012, with Gibson detailing what Moore police found when they went to the Super 8 Motel where he worked to arrest him that day.

According to the police chief, officers found what investigators ultimately came to believe was "a fake crime scene, where [Lennon] attempted to make it appear that he had been the victim of an abduction and violent robbery, maybe even possibly a murder." Gibson said at Friday's press conference that the suspect went so far as to use "his own blood" after a "large amount" was found pooled at the scene.

"We never believed that Mr. Lennon was deceased. We never believed that he was a victim of a crime," D.A. Austin told reporters. "We believed he was trying to evade capture."

Johnny L. Kuhlman, U.S. marshal for the Western District of Oklahoma, told reporters that the investigation had taken them to the State University of New York at Canton, where "Justin Phillips" was enrolled and studying in the engineering science program.

"We’ve been there long enough to have him under surveillance for a while," Kuhlman said of the joint agency efforts that had taken them from Oklahoma City to upstate New York over the past 13 years.

The university confirmed that enrollment for "Justin Phillips" and said the student was suspended Friday following Lennon's arrest, per NNY360. Lennon has a master's degree in computer science and was pursuing a doctorate, Kuhlman told reporters.

He said that U.S. marshals had executed more than 100 search warrants and "countless interviews" across the country, including "many, many road trips" in their relentless search for and pursuit of the suspect's multiple aliases over the past 13 years, with KOCO reporting he'd used more than a dozen of them.

After his arrest, Lennon was interviewed and his identity was confirmed via fingerprint analysis, according to police in Oklahoma. New York State Police have stated they are now investigation Lennon's activities while in that state "for any possible crimes that were committed up there," said Kuhlman.

He said "some new information" ultimately led them to finding Lennon, but he would not disclose what it was "because it could result in additional criminal charges." ABC affiliate WHAM reports that already a warrant has been obtained for his arrest for failure to register as a sex offender in New York.

"Mr. Lennon maybe thinks he’s a smart person, but he’s not as smart as he thinks he is," Gibson said on Friday, adding, "I would like to point out to anyone that seeks to harm or exploit children, you need to know this: We will not stop. We will not lose focus. And no matter how long it takes or how far you run, we will come for you. You should always be looking over your shoulder."

If convicted, per WHAM, Lennon faces life in prison, with Austin telling reporters, "Now that he has been found, we will bring him to justice." Lennon is currently being held in Syracuse, New York, with an arraignment set for later this week. Authorities are also awaiting details on extradition back to Oklahoma for future court appearances there.

As investigators have vowed to continue their investigation into Lennon's whereabouts and activities over the past 13 years between the time of his disappearance in Oklahoma and discovery in New York, Horstkoetter told KOCO the possibilities frighten him.

"Knowing that he’s behind bars and that he’s not going to be a threat to kids any longer. It’s wild, just, it scares me, honestly. The last 13 years, what in the world has he been doing?" he said. "I'm genuinely concerned about other victims that might be out there."