Evan Scott Grant: Man Steals Plane, Admits ‘I’m A Pedophile’ Over Radio

Evan Scott Grant, a former student pilot, stole a small airplane near Las Vegas, claiming that he wanted to enjoy his “last flight” before facing charges of two felony counts of lewdness with a child.

Police were contacted to North Las Vegas Airport after learning that 27-year-old Grant had made an “unauthorized take-off.” Grant remained in communication with ground control even as air traffic controllers closely monitored the unauthorized flight. Grant was eventually convinced to land the twin-engine plane at the airport after about an hour. No one else was on the plane with him, and no one was hurt.

Henderson police department investigators had already contacted Evan Scott Grant in connection with suspected sex crimes against the child of his friend before he stole the plane from the North Las Vegas Airport early on Saturday, according to Henderson police spokeswoman Michelle French.

The accusations made against Grant were the motivation behind the theft of the plane. During his flight, Grant transmitted his strange reasoning for stealing the plane over the radio.

“I’m a pedophile… I have been since I was 13. I’m just trying to enjoy what’s left of my last flight.”

Police in Henderson, Nevada, say that the sex crimes were reported on Friday evening and that Grant apologized for both taking the plane and for the incident involving the child a day earlier.

“I did something yesterday I can never take back,” Grant said during his hour-long flight.

Grant also explained during the flight that he has spent his whole life trying to avoid the impulses that led him to commit a sexual crime against a child.

“For 14 years, I tried everything I could to, to just change the way I think… change… I couldn’t do it. I don’t know how to do it.”

Grant made these confessions to an air traffic controller identified as Tony, who kept the lines of communication open and managed to get Grant to come down.

“Since you’ve kept me company I’ll just make it easier for you,” Grant said to Tony. “I’ll just come down.”

Grant was booked at the North Las Vegan jail for one felony count of grand larceny auto after landing the stolen plane, and he was later released on bond. He was officially arrested on Tuesday on charges relating to the sex crimes against his friend’s child, which have resulted in two felony counts of lewdness on a child. Bond is set at $20,000 for those crimes.

According to Yahoo News, Tess Driver, a spokeswoman for the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, said police have not submitted their cases against Grant and that he has not yet been formally charged.

One man, who was abused as a child by his sister, has set out to stop pedophiles from harming real children in a way that many find disturbing. For more on that story, click here.

[Image via the Associated Press]