Christopher Savoie, a 38-year-old American arrested in Fukuoka earlier this week for allegedly abducting his two children from his Japanese ex-wife, took them because she did not have legal custody, his lawyer told The Japan Times on Friday.

Savoie said his former wife, Noriko, abducted the children from their home in Tennessee.

"After (Savoie's) former wife abducted the two kids, a Tennessee court ruled that she does not deserve custodial rights and granted him sole custody. Savoie said his action followed the court's decision," his attorney, Tadashi Yoshino, said.