A British man working as a scuba-diving instructor in the central Philippines has been arrested by immigration authorities after being identified as a registered sex offender in the United Kingdom.
On 16 February 2026, officers from the Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI) fugitive search unit carried out an enforcement operation in Santa Fe on Tablas Island, Romblon province. The arrest followed a warrant issued earlier in the month targeting individuals considered “undesirable aliens.”
At the time of the raid, 47-year-old Andrew Charles Beaumont was reportedly offering diving lessons and demonstrating scuba equipment for pay at a local dive centre widely known in the area. According to BI officials, he was also managing the dive business there.
Beaumont, who previously worked as a teacher, has been subject to a lifetime sexual offence notification order in the UK since 2012. Court records show that he was convicted in Australia in 2009 for multiple offences involving repeated sexual activity with a 15-year-old over a six-week period and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
Immigration documentation indicates that Beaumont entered the Philippines on 19 September 2022 on a temporary visitor visa. However, his last authorised visa extension expired in November 2023, meaning he had been residing in the country without valid immigration status when arrested.
The BI confirmed that Beaumont will remain in custody while deportation proceedings are pursued under the classification of “undesirable alien.” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasised that the bureau is committed to preventing individuals who pose a risk—especially to children—from residing or working in the Philippines. The arrest is part of the BI’s expanded ShieldKids initiative, which focuses on strengthening border controls and enforcement against foreign sex offenders and traffickers.
This case highlights ongoing challenges in monitoring and regulating who is allowed to work with vulnerable groups, including in tourism and instruction roles, and reinforces the need for strict background screening in the diving industry.
Diventures Team is a multidisciplinary team of scuba professionals, editors, and digital creators, producing accurate and experience-driven coverage of diving, marine life, and ocean culture.
