PNP ready to help arrest Filipino wanted by FBI

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it is ready to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in locating a Filipino accused of exploiting minors through online gaming and social media platforms.

In a statement, PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police force is prepared to extend full cooperation to the United States authorities to track down Austin Jan Sy Yatco.

“The Philippine National Police supports all efforts to make the online space safe for everybody,” Nartatez said.

“In this case, we are fully open to assisting the FBI to ensure that the suspect it has been looking for is tracked down and held accountable in coordination with other government agencies concerned,” he added.

Offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to Yatco’s arrest, the FBI Dallas office released a wanted poster identifying the suspect, who was born in August 1998 in San Pedro, Laguna.

Yatco is wanted in the US for alleged involvement in an online group that exploited minors from 2019 to 2021.

He was allegedly part of a group that coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material, which was then shared within an online network. 

A federal arrest warrant was issued against Yatco on January 23 by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.

Yatco is facing charges including sexual exploitation of children, as well as possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. 

The FBI said he has links to Plano, Texas, and the Philippines, where he is believed to be currently residing.

“At present, we are validating all available intelligence. Our units on the ground are actively coordinating, and monitoring and information gathering continue to determine the suspect’s exact location,” Nartatez said. 

He added that specialized units have been mobilized to ensure readiness for both cyber and ground operations against Yatco. —AOL, GMA News