US sex offender preying on PH minors jailed after PNP, FBI cross-border effort

A court in Aubrey, Texas has sentenced an American sex offender to 30 years in prison over a child exploitation case involving minors in the Philippines, a decision which the Philippine National Police (PNP) called a "breakthrough" in its cross-border work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In a statement on Saturday, the PNP said the 65-year-old American man was found to have paid adult women in the Philippines to produce explicit materials depicting Filipino minors.

The PNP said he spent more than $8,000 from 2015 to 2021 for the illegal materials, sent through direct messaging and livestreaming session.

"The case stands as one of the most notable demonstrations of coordinated law enforcement action" between the PNP and the FBI, the statement said.

It said the "PNP breakthrough emerged from proactive" investigation of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) by the its Women and Children Protection Center–Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU).

Following the implementation of a search warrant in 2023, the PNP recovered mobile phones containing the materials in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.

The operation led to the arrest of two facilitators, the rescue of the victims, and "essential evidence that connected the offender abroad to the exploitation committed in the Philippines."

The PNP described its exchange of intelligence with the FBI as "seamless," marked by timely referrals, and synchronized investigative work that allowed both the American and Filipino culprits to be held accountable.

"The successful conviction in the U.S. affirms that offenders who exploit Filipino children will face justice, wherever they may be… Our collaboration with the FBI demonstrates our enduring commitment to protect vulnerable children and dismantle criminal structures that prey on them. The PNP will continue pushing forward until every child is safe from online exploitation,” shared PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Nartatez Jr. said.

For his part, PNP Spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said, "This result highlights how collective action across borders strengthens the fight against online exploitation. Our ongoing coordination with the FBI ensured that Philippine-sourced evidence played a decisive role in the prosecution." — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/ VDV, GMA Integrated News