An American expat will spend the rest of his life behind bars for child sexual abuse crimes committed in the Philippines. A Los Angeles federal court handed down the life imprisonment sentence on Monday, May 18, following a lengthy, eight-year battle in the courts to prosecute Stanley Reczko under the PROTECT Act. The PROTECT Act criminalizes sexual abuse of children by a U.S. citizen in a foreign country. Life Sentencing for American Expat Sends Strong Message to Sex Offenders Overseas Good law! Every country should have a similar one.