Indian-origin sex predator doc wanted in US found in NZ:report

American authorities are looking for a 45-year-old Indian-origin radiologist who fled to New Zealand after being accused of grooming a deaf teenager for sex in an online chatroom, a media report said today.

Max Mehta was arrested in 2004 after allegedly soliciting a 15-year-old girl, who turned out to be a police officer taking part in a sting operation.

Mehta later skipped bail of USD 125,000 and absconded to New Zealand before he was due to appear in court in 2005, New Zealand Herald reported.

As Mehta hadn't been convicted or appeared in court, he was able to pass police, immigration and work history checks and even changed his name in 2007 to Robert Taylor.
It's thought he may have worked in the Canterbury area of New Zealand, the paper quoted the Guardian.

In 2008 he was granted New Zealand citizenship before moving to Australia the following year on his Kiwi passport where he continued practicing as a radiologist.

However, alarm bells were raised last year when Mehta was alleged to have forged signatures on accreditation documents.

No action is known to have been taken against him until last week when his current place of employment in Victoria ordered him not to return to work.

Mehta's arrest warrant remains active in the US and police are believed to be seeking an international arrest warrant so he can be extradited to face the charge.