Man Who Faked His Own Death To Escape Child Porn Charges And Was On The Run For 6 Years, Arrested

A man who faked his own death to avoid a 2016 child pornography trial was arrested Monday in Washington state, confirmedthe U.S. Marshals Service.

After about six years, Jacob Greer, 28, of Des Moines, was found and arrested in Spanaway. He reportedly faked his death before running away from Iowa in 2016 to avoid child sex abuse charges. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Greer on charges of "receipt and possession of child pornography" in April 2016.

He was released on bond the next day under pre-trial supervision, an ankle monitor was placed on him. However, according to officials, on May 31, 2016, Greer’s probation officer was alerted that his GPS monitoring device had been removed.

“A multiagency search effort ensued, and Greer’s vehicle was found with a suicide note inside of it. However, searchers did not find Greer’s body," the US Marshals said in a statement. “A federal arrest warrant for Greer was issued that day."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Forestry Service found another vehicle associated with Greer on a campground in Flathead, Montana, but Greer was nowhere to be found. Investigators claimed that Greer had bought the car with a $1,000 ($1,300) loan from a friend. He fled to Iowa with money, a bow, arrows and a "backpack full of survival gear," officials said. Greer was reportedly last seen in a camouflage hat at a Walmart in Kalispell, Montana on June 3, 2016.

"Greer was last seen at a Wal-Mart in Kalispell, Montana, June 3, 2016, wearing a camouflage hat. Through additional interviews, investigators learned Greer was a survivalist and had plans to live off the land in remote areas of the upper western states or southern Canada, hiding out in abandoned cabins," the Marshals Service said.

Ted Kamatchus, U.S. Marshal for the southern district of Iowa said, "The arrest of Jacob Greer after six years is a testament to the tenacity of Deputy U.S. Marshals and our investigative partners," he said. "Even though the case went cold, they would not quit."

Greer is currently being held at the Federal Detention Center in Seattle and he will be brought to Des Moines to stand trial.