A 76-year-old man from Chichester, West Sussex, has been jailed for 12 years after being found to have paid more than £200,000 for the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines. Robert Pasteiner was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to 36 offences related to child sexual exploitation.
Pasteiner's activities came to light through suspicious financial transactions totalling over £200,000 made to individuals in the South East Asian country. These payments included transfers to facilitators who were subsequently arrested in connection with live-streamed child sexual abuse. His eventual arrest occurred at Heathrow Airport in 2023, just before he was due to fly to the Philippines.
During the investigation, analysis of Pasteiner's mobile phone revealed that he had arranged to meet a 12-year-old girl in his hotel room in the Philippines. A search of his luggage at the time of his arrest uncovered items such as condoms, Viagra, and presents, which investigators believe were intended for this meeting. Further searches of his home identified 15 electronic devices, six of which contained indecent images of children. Paperwork seized also detailed payment records, outlining the amounts sent and the explicit purposes, with some noted as being for a "show".
Pasteiner admitted to a range of serious 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. In addition to his prison sentence, he has been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offender's Register for the rest of his life.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) played a crucial role in identifying Pasteiner, working in collaboration with international partners including the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police. This joint effort was instrumental in identifying and safeguarding the victims of his exploitation. Senior investigating officer Danielle Pownall described Pasteiner as a "depraved man who posed a significant threat to children around the world," adding that the recovered items clearly indicated his intentions for travelling to the Philippines.