a seattle man fled the united states with his 9 year old son on a sailboat last fall, taking his son thousands of miles away to the island nation of niue, northeast of new zealand jeffrey ford hanson pleaded guilty on monday to one count of international parental kidnapping hanson's friends reportedly told police that the father had issues with alcohol and drugs, including crystal methamphetamine and oxycontin hanson's son, 9 year old billy, was visiting his father in july and was supposed to be sent back to his mother in pennsylvania on sept 4, but the boy was not on the flight the boy's mother contacted authorities and they issued a us federal arrest warrant on sept 12 family: jeffrey ford hanson fled the united states with his 9 year old son billy on a sailboat last fall  taking off: hanson and his son were on his boat 'draco' (pictured) hanson and the boy's mother were divorced, but he had monthly visitation rights for up to six consecutive days, according to court records authorities found hanson and the boy on oct 29 on niue, which is located in the south pacific ocean and is northeast of new zealand they took hanson into custody and worked to reunite the boy with his mother in hazleton, pennsylvania hanson's friends told seattle police detective bryan van brunt that hanson lived on a boat, was dangerous and had a history of alcohol and drug abuse, according to an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint one friend, carey jambresic, told van brunt that hanson planned to take the boy by boat to washington's san juan islands jambresic told the detective that the boy could not swim and said hanson was actively smoking crystal methamphetamine, taking oxycontin and drinking alcohol, the affidavit said another friend, dawnya robinson, told the detective that hanson sent her a text message saying he was leaving the country, going to mexico and taking his son, the affidavit said discovery: authorities found billy and his father on oct 29 on the island country of niue, located in the south pacific ocean, northeast of new zealand  hanson told another friend that he had enough money to keep his boat, draco, afloat, and made references to cape horn on the southern tip of south america hanson was brought back to the us in november where he was formally charged in a los angeles federal court he was then moved to seattle he pleaded not guilty on dec 18 in us district court in seattle and his trial was set for feb 17 it was later moved to may 11, but during a hearing early monday, he changed his plea to guilty sentencing was set for june 6 hanson faces up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000
the south pacific ocean billy seattle the united states niue oxycontin carey jambresic pennsylvania october 29 jeffrey ford hanson 9 year old hanson july last fall september 4
jeffrey ford hanson fled the united states with his 9 year old son billy on a sailboat last fall  billy was visiting in july and was supposed to be sent back to his mother in pennsylvania on september 4, but the boy was not on the flight  authorities found hanson and his son on october 29 on the island country of niue, located in the south pacific ocean  hanson's friends told seattle police that hanson lived on a boat, was dangerous and had a history of alcohol and drug abuse  friend carey jambresic said  the boy could not swim and said hanson was actively smoking crystal methamphetamine, taking oxycontin and drinking 