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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Safer online initiative?': PNP joins hunt vs Pinoy wanted by FBI for child exploitation via gaming, socmed

'Safer online initiative?': PNP joins hunt vs Pinoy wanted by FBI for child exploitation via gaming, socmed

Published Apr 20, 2026 11:28 am
Cybercriminals and online predators have always been an anger trigger for the police so when they heard about the US authorities ongoing hunt against a Filipino accused of exploiting minors through online gaming and social media platforms, another opportunity to get even suddenly kicked in.
On Monday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) expressed readiness to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation in tracking down a Filipino who is wanted in America for alleged involvement in an online group that exploited minors through gaming and social media platforms between 2019 and 2021.
“The Philippine National Police supports all efforts to make the online space safe for everybody,” said Nartatez who earlier committed to provide all the necessary support system to add more teeth in the campaign against cybercrimes.
“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.
Earlier, the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Austin Jan Sy Yatco. It released a wanted poster identifying Yatco, born in August 1998 in San Pedro, Laguna.
US authorities said he was part of a group that allegedly coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material, which was then shared within the online network. A federal arrest warrant was issued on January 23 by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.
Yatco faces charges including sexual exploitation of children and possession and distribution of child pornography. The FBI said he has links to Plano, Texas, and the Philippines, where he is believed to be currently residing.
Nartatez said local intelligence efforts were ongoing as police units work to validate leads and monitor possible movements within the country.
“At present, we are validating all available intelligence. Our units on the ground are actively coordinating and we are continuously monitoring and gathering information to determine the suspect’s exact location,” said Nartatez.
Nartatez said specialized units have been mobilized to ensure readiness in both cyber and ground operations as authorities narrow down the suspect’s possible whereabouts.
“The PNP is ready and capable of assisting in both cyber and ground operations. This is a shared fight against exploitation. We treat this with urgency and diligence,” he said.

Related Tags

PNP FBI CYBERCRIME Child exploitation online gaming social media Jose Melencio C. Nartatez
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