By Jeffrey Damicog Europe’s most wanted online sexual offender has been found to be a 32-year-old Filipino pedophile who gained notoriety for producing child porn and uploading these in the dark web for his “personal gratification” without earning any money. Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Vicente De Guzman III on July 25 assured that the pedophile who was identified as Nelson Siacor Torayno is now facing charges in a Cebu City court following his arrest back in April. “Nelson Siacor Torayno, 32 years old, was arrested on April 12 at his rented room in Barangay Luz, Cebu City where thousands of images, including videos depicting children being sexually abused by an adult, were found in his possession,” he told reporters. Armed with a search warrant issued by Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Ramon Daomilas Jr., joint operatives of the NBI’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD) and the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) conducted the arrest based on the referral made by the Australian government back in August 2018. During the same operation, operatives also rescued eight of his victims, boys and girls aged between three to 11 years old. “According to the victims some of them are just kapitbahay (neighbors),” said Police Maj. Michael Virtudazo of the PNP-WCPC. “Bibigyan lang candy, pera, pupunta lang sila sa isang sulok at ire-record na ang pag-abuse sa bata and then upload na sa dark web (The children were given candy or money then they go to a corner to record the abuse which is eventually uploaded in the dark web),” he learned. Meanwhile, Australian Federal Police Acting Senior Liaison Officer Graeme Marshall expressed gratitude to Philippine authorities for the capture of Torayno. “He is the number one suspect in EUROPOL (European Union for Law Enforcement Cooperation) in relation to online sexual predators,” he cited. The Australian official said this case is unique since most of the time the pedophiles have been foreigners. “This case is different in that the suspect is a Filipino national who is obviously a pedophile and he was abusing the children here in the Philippines,” he said. Marshall noted that Torayno has become well known in the dark web for producing child porn. “There is no evidence he may have benefited financially from this,” Marshall said. “You need to understand Mr. Torayno is a pedophile himself so there is an element of personal gratification from what he is doing,” he pointed out. Virtudazo also admitted that this is the first case the PNP encountered that no money was involved in the uploading of child porn. “This is the first case we have encountered na walang money (no money) involved, just sharing of child abuse materials in the dark web,” he said. Marshall revealed that based on investigation Torayno has been engaged in the activity since “when he was about 14 years of age.” Because of the Filipino’s activities, Marshall disclosed that international investigators have been conducted an investigation against Torayno who used the alias “Raheli” in the dark web. “We were able to piece together just enough information to suggest that this particular person was most likely in the Philippines. so that’s when it was referred to the Philippines last year,” he said.