A 76-year-old man from West Sussex, England, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for paying for children in the Philippines to be sexually abused.
Robert Pasteiner was identified through suspicious payments totaling more than £200,000 made to individuals in the Philippines. These payments were linked to facilitators of live-streamed child sexual abuse. Pasteiner was arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2023 as he was preparing to fly to the Philippines.
During the investigation, mobile phone analysis revealed that Pasteiner had arranged to meet a 12-year-old girl at his hotel in the Philippines. Searches of his luggage uncovered condoms and Viagra, along with gifts, indicating his intentions. Further searches at his home uncovered 15 electronic devices, six of which contained indecent images of children.
Paperwork seized by authorities detailed payment information, including amounts sent and the purpose of the transactions, with some notations referring to a "show." Pasteiner pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, attempted sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, and making indecent images of children. He received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be placed on the Sex Offender's Register for life.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) collaborated with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to identify and safeguard Pasteiner's victims. Senior investigating officer Danielle Pownall stated that Pasteiner was a "depraved man who posed a significant threat to children around the world."