A Kenyan court said that the male American national, facing allegations of defilement, was a flight risk, and therefore couldn't be granted bail. / Photo: Reuters

Terry Ray Krieger was denied bond by the Mavoko Law Courts on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where he is accused of defiling a 3-year-old girl earlier this month.

Magistrate Barbra Ojoo denied a bail request on Tuesday and noted that Krieger "is a fugitive of justice, which is a compelling reason to deny him bail."

The court dismissed the defense's argument which contended that Krieger, 68, should be granted leniency on account of his age and purported urgent medical needs.

The judge underscored the gravity of the charges, emphasizing that the severity of the alleged offenses transcends considerations of age or health conditions.

Convicted

Krieger is an American who was apprehended on November 9 and charged with seven counts of child sexual offenses.

He was convicted of pedophilia and received a 50-year sentence on December 2, 2014, after he was found culpable of capturing and disseminating explicit videos involving minors.

But in November 2022, he was released from the Kamiti Maximum Prison under a court order.

Legal proceedings in the current case are scheduled for November 27.

AA