An elderly man who has been on the run for 30 years was discovered by police after he refused to pass through an airport security scanner . Clements Lopez was charged with sexually assaulting a girl on 6 May , 1985 , but he failed to attend the trial and a $ 5000 reward was offered . After evading police for three decades , the 86-year-old is being held in custody as his lawyers attempt to grant him bail , reports ABC . Darwin airport , where 86-year-old Clements Lopez was arrested on Thursday after 30 years on the run from police . After he refused to pass the security scanner , police led Mr Lopez aside and ran a security check on him , discovering a 30-year-old warrant for his arrest . Mr Lopez 's defence lawyer applied for bail , but Chief Justice Trevor Riley said the charges facing the defendant were too serious . 'He has n't been heard from since 1986 and now I 'm not just going to let him walk away again , ' Mr Riley said . Two witnesses who did not attend the original case are currently being sought by police . Clements Lopez was charged with sexually assaulting a girl on 6 May , 1985 , but he failed to attend the trial . The defence told the court Mr Lopez 's two Queensland based sons have been contacted to provide assurance of his attendance to court should he receive bail . The matter has been postponed until Friday , when a more substantial proposal for bail will be presented .
Clements Lopez was charged with sexually assaulting a girl in 1985 . He is serving life without parole for the crime and has been on death row since his arrest in 1986.