$𝟮𝟱𝗞 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱—𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗛, 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼 𝗯𝗮 𝗸𝗮𝘆𝗼?

The Philippine National Police (PNP) says it’s ready to help the FBI track down a Filipino man wanted in the United States for alleged child exploitation tied to online gaming and social media. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police is “fully open” to assisting the American investigation and coordinating with other Philippine government agencies to locate the suspect and hold him accountable.

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Austin Jan Sy Yatco, identified in a wanted poster as born August 1998 in San Pedro, Laguna. US authorities allege he was part of an online group that coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material between 2019 and 2021, which was then shared inside the network. A federal arrest warrant was issued on January 23 by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

Yatco is facing charges that include sexual exploitation of children and possession and distribution of child pornography, according to the FBI. US authorities say he has links to Plano, Texas, and the Philippines, and he is believed to be currently in the country—triggering local monitoring and validation efforts.

Nartatez said the PNP has ongoing intelligence work to verify leads, monitor possible movements, and narrow down the suspect’s location. He added that specialized police units have been mobilized for both cyber tracking and ground operations, framing the case as a high-urgency effort to protect minors and shut down online exploitation networks.

Image from Manila Bulletin