Kidnap dad denies endangering son (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Kidnap dad denies endangering son

10:25am Monday 9th July 2007 in News By Gazette Reporter

The Mexican man who kidnapped his three-month-old son from former Swindon woman Samantha Lowry at their Texan home has spoken out to defend his actions.

Samantha, 24, hasn't seen baby Sebastian since he was abducted by his father and taken to Mexico six weeks ago from the US city of Austin.

Forty-year-old father Daniel Pavon-Cuellar has attempted to explain his criminal actions, which include failing to allow the Mexican Government to check if Sebastian is okay.

But he has admitted kidnapping his three-month-old son.

In broken English, he strongly denied endangering his baby son, but did not confirm if Sebastian is safe or give any indication of where the baby is being held.

Samantha and her family are anxious to trace him as nobody has seen baby Sebastian for six weeks.

"Sam has court orders giving her sole custody and the judge has decided that Daniel has no contact right with Sebastian," said the Lowry family in a statement last night.

"He has only appeared for three court cases and only employed a lawyer to represent him for the third hearing."

Four warrants have been issued for Mr Pavon-Cuellar's arrest and a picture of him and Sebastian has been posted on the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children's website.

He has told Samantha she has to go to Mexico if she wants to see her baby again.

Samantha who is from Bishopstone, but now lives in Texas, said: "We haven't heard from Daniel in three weeks.

"He has been refusing to allow the authorities to do welfare checks on Sebastian."

She is desperately worried about the safety of her child and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has requested that the Mexican Government conduct a welfare check on the baby.

The mother told of her living hell last week when she admitted: "It is hell. The worst thing is not knowing if Sebastian is safe.

"If a child is in danger in the UK the authorities remove the baby straight away, but in Mexico it's much more complicated."

The Lowry family are due to give a press conference in America later today.