Michael Stanley, a violent, high-risk sex offender who has been missing for more than a week, has been located in the United States but not arrested, say Edmonton police.

“EPS detectives were able to confirm with U.S. customs and border protection that Stanley crossed from British Columbia into Washington state at the Blaine border crossing on the evening of Oct. 7,” said Edmonton Det. Chris Hayduk at a news conference held Thursday afternoon.

Hayduk would not say where exactly Stanley was found, but noted he has not been secured by American police.

It is not yet known how Stanley travelled into the U.S.

A spokesperson for the Whatcom County Sheriff's office in Washington told CBC's Scott Fralick there had been a great deal of activity around the Blaine crossing Monday night, including a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that was enlisted to aid Canadian authorities.

Extradition will be sought

Hayduk said American police are aware that Stanley is wanted in Canada, but there are no warrants for his arrest in the U.S.

Hayduk said justice officials in Canada don't have the legal power to apprehend Stanley but will be speaking to Crown prosecutors to prepare for an extradition process once he is brought into custody.

Washington State Police have confirmed no public advisory or alert has been released on Stanley to date.

“To my knowledge, he’s not wanted in the United States for anything,” Hayduk said, adding that American authorities have been notified about Stanley’s outstanding warrants in Canada.

Stanley does have a criminal record in the U.S., however.

Hayduk acknowledged some frustration that Stanley was not caught before he crossed the border.

“For us, it would have been the best outcome to have caught him prior to that — so for him to be in the States is a concern that those agencies are going to have to follow up with.”

Facing multiple charges

Police in several provinces have been searching for Stanley since he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet on Oct. 1 in Lloydminster, located on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

A Canada-wide warrant had been issued for the 48-year-old, who had been evading law enforcement officials for more than a week.

Stanley has been charged with five counts of breach of recognizance, mischief, driving without a valid driver’s licence, driving without registration and driving without insurance.

There have been multiple unconfirmed sightings of him in Saskatchewan and Alberta during that time, which prompted the lockdown of several schools.

He has family ties in Lethbridge, Alta., and police confirmed earlier this week that he had been in the area last Friday.

Lethbridge police seized Michael Stanley's vehicle, a purple Chevrolet Blazer, from a west-side home Monday. (Const. Steve Veale/Lethbridge Regional Police)

His vehicle was seized in the west end of the city on Monday.

Stanley was released from prison in April 2011 after completing a 32-month sentence for assault and forcible confinement.

One of the conditions of his release was that he wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

History of taking children

Edmonton police said Stanley has breached his conditions of release in the past.

He has a long history of sexual offences dating back to 1987. Stanley also has a history of taking children from playgrounds.

In 2006, he was sentenced to serve time for assault and unlawful confinement after luring two mentally impaired boys to an Edmonton apartment. One boy was 13, and one was nine.

In the late 1980s, Stanley spent nine years in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of an 82-year-old Lethbridge woman who was in a wheelchair.