PH netizen wanted by FBI for child porn
The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a $25,000 (about P1.5 million) reward for any information leading to the arrest of a Filipino content creator accused of being part of a network engaged in child pornography.
The FBI on Saturday (Philippine time) put up a wanted poster of Austin Jan Sy Yatco, 27, of San Pedro, Laguna.
Known by his “Hairy Lips” username on his now-deleted YouTube and Discord accounts, he gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic as a troll disrupting online classes and, ironically, supposedly exposing pedophiles.
In a news release, the FBI said Yatco, who is now considered a fugitive, was accused of involvement in the exploitation of minors between 2019 and 2021.
In January, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an arrest warrant against Yatco after he was charged with conspiracy to produce child pornography, and conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography.
Minors coerced into porn
According to the FBI, Yatco is allegedly part of “Greggy’s Cult,” an online group whose members target vulnerable populations including children, across the United States and around the globe, “to engage in self-harm, produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), engage in acts of animal cruelty, sexually exploit siblings, and in some cases encourage victims to attempt suicide.”
The group finds their victims in Discord servers and gaming platforms such as Roblox and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Yatco and the group allegedly coerced minor victims into creating child pornography of themselves and then distributed it among the group and to others.
The FBI said Yatco has “long-standing ties” with Plano, Texas, where he lived before fleeing the United States. He is currently believed to be in the Philippines.
“We are committed to apprehending Austin Yatco, bringing justice to his victims, and preventing future abuse. We encourage the public to come forward with any information that could lead to his apprehension,” FBI Dallas special agent in charge Joseph Rothrock said.
“The FBI continues to prioritize the investigation of predators that threaten the safety of our children,” Rothrock also said.
Cult members nabbed
The Philippines and the United States have a formal extradition treaty signed in 1994, which allows the reciprocal surrender of individuals charged with or convicted of crimes punishable in both countries by imprisonment of over one year.
If convicted on both charges, Yatco faces imprisonment with a statutory range roughly between 15 and 50 years, depending on how the court structures the sentence and applies federal guidelines.
Five members of Greggy’s Cult, all in their 20s, were arrested and charged in December 2025 with child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to produce child pornography, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, and conspiracy to communicate interstate threats.
They are Hector Bermudez, 29, of Queens, New York; Zachary Dosch, 26, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rumaldo Valdez, 22, of Honolulu, Hawaii; David Brilhante, 28, of San Diego, California; and Camden Rodriguez, 22, of Longmont, Colorado.
For information about Yatco, the US authorities urged Filipinos to call FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the FBI’s Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000.
Anonymous tips may also be submitted digitally at tips.fbi.gov or at the nearest US Embassy or consulate.
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