MAN, 76, PAID FOR CHILDREN TO BE SEXUALLY ABUSED IN PHILIPPINES
A 76-year-old man from West Sussex has admitted to committing 36 offenses related to child abuse, including arranging for children in the Philippines to be sexually exploited.Robert Pasteiner, residing on Old Broyle Road in Chichester, was initially linked to the case after authorities noticed suspicious payments exceeding £200,000 sent to individuals in Southeast Asia, some of whom had been caught facilitating live-streamed child sexual abuse.
He was detained at Heathrow Airport in February 2023 just before he was set to fly to the Philippines, where he planned to meet a 12-year-old girl at a hotel.
On Friday, Pasteiner appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court and is scheduled to return on 23 July for sentencing.
During his arrest, officers found in his luggage gifts such as perfume, jewelry, condoms, and Viagra, along with a significant amount of Filipino Pesos and counterfeit documents.
Searching his residence uncovered 15 electronic devices, six of which contained indecent images of minors, as well as documents detailing his communications abroad.
Some files listed payments he had made and their purposes, including payments for "a show." The National Crime Agency worked with Philippine authorities to identify victims and apprehend those involved in coordinating his abuse.
His charges include causing or encouraging child exploitation, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor, enabling child sexual abuse, and producing indecent images of children.