EU's most wanted online child sex offender arrested in Cebu

Philippine operatives have arrested the European Union law enforcement agency's most wanted online child sex offender in Cebu City.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents and police officers arrested Nelson Siacor Torayno, 32, at his rented room in Barangay Luz, Cebu City, last April 12, according to a joint statement by local authorities and their foreign partners released only on Thursday.

The Europol's most wanted criminal for the production and distribution of child sexual exploitation materials on the dark web, Torayno, a Filipino, was allegedly found in possession of thousands of images and videos showing children being sexually abused by an adult.

He was arrested for possession of the materials "with intent to sell, distribute, publish or broadcast, committed through the use of information communications technology."

The arrest was made on the strength of an April 11 search warrant issued by a Cebu City court after the Queensland Police Service in Australia forwarded a referral to the Australian Federal Police, which then referred the case to the NBI and the Philippine National Police.

The United Kingdom National Crime Agency and the International Justice Mission also supported the operation, the statement said.

Torayna is detained at Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center in Cebu City as he faces charges.

The release also said that eight children -- neighbors and acquaintances of the arrested man -- have been rescued as of Thursday.

Five of the children rescued were between three and 11 years old and hail from Cebu City. Two of the five, both girls, reported that the suspect had touched them inappropriately. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy was rescued in Liloan, and two 8-year-old boys were rescued in Iligan City.

Torayna allegedly met the 10-year-old boy in an internet shop and paid for the child's computer games in order to befriend him. The suspect was eventually able to lure the boy to another location where the sexual abuse took place, the statement said.

"All children rescued have been reintegrated back to their families and will continue to receive trauma-informed interventions," the release stated.

Authorities said the delayed announcement was due to the conduct of ongoing operations stemming from the arrest, explaining that announcing it earlier could have potentially worked against the deterrence of the crime.

Online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) is a crime that violates the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, which comes with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P2 to P5 million. The statement said typical OSEC offenses also violate anti-cybercrime, anti-child pornography, and anti-child abuse laws, which carry penalties equivalent to 12 to 40 years imprisonment. — MDM, GMA News