A Pennsylvania man wanted on 865 charges of child rape was captured in Tallahassee on Thursday.

Gerrick Bloom, 46, was wanted in Clarion, Pennsylvania, in connection with the rape of a child whom investigators say he had been "grooming" and assaulting since the age of five.

Bloom was captured outside of the Kearney Center by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, according to Deputy Commander Marty West.

Bloom had been staying at the shelter for the past two days but had evaded authorities since a warrant was issued for his arrest on Jan. 16.

“That’s a high traffic area for children getting off school buses,” West said of where Bloom was taken into custody. “Having a predator like that hanging around Tallahassee, it would have only been a matter of time.”

He faces 216 counts of rape of a child, 216 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, 216 counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, 216 counts of statutory sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Bloom was in Tampa, West said, after leaving Pennsylvania before he came to Tallahassee. The U.S. Marshals took up the case Feb. 4.

Bloom’s arrest, West said, has made the streets of Tallahassee safer.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter