US sex offender preying on PH kids nailed by digital evidence
Digital evidence collected by Philippine police was instrumental in securing a 30-year federal prison sentence for an American man convicted of child-exploitation offenses involving Filipino minors, the Philippine National Police Public Information Office said on Saturday.
US authorities said the 65-year-old offender paid adult women in the Philippines to produce sexually explicit material involving children—sending more than $8,000 through a single remittance service from 2015 to 2021.
Investigators said the content was shared via direct messaging and livestreamed sessions.
The conviction in Aubrey, Texas, relied heavily on evidence gathered during a 2023 cyber operation in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.
Justice anywhere
PNP operatives said two minors were rescued in the course of that operation. Child sexual abuse and exploitation materials were also recovered from the mobile phones of two alleged facilitators who were arrested.
“This conviction affirms that offenders who exploit Filipino children will face justice, wherever they may be,” PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
‘Decisive role’
“Our collaboration with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) demonstrates our enduring commitment to protect vulnerable children and dismantle criminal structures that prey on them,” he added.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the case highlights how online sexual abuse and exploitation of children continues to operate across borders, relying on anonymous digital platforms and small but persistent money transfers.
He said Philippine-sourced digital forensics plays a “decisive role” in these cases, adding that coordination with US agencies remains crucial.
The two Filipino suspects face separate criminal charges while social workers continue to assist the rescued minors, police said.
