A former British Army officer faces jail for paying to watch Filipino children being sexually abused online.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) claimed Andrew Whiddett, 70, paid a woman a total of £8,584 (US$11,000) between January 2015 and July 2017 to have the abuse live-streamed, the Philippine Lifestyle News reported.
The NCA said Whiddett communicated with the woman between September and October 2016 about his plans to travel to the Philippines and said wanted to sexually abuse a child.
On October 31, 2017, at Heathrow Airport in London, Whiddett was arrested. During interrogation, Whiddett admitted to sending 158 payments to the Philippines, but claimed the money was for live adult sex shows.
Last Wednesday at the Croydon Crown Court, Whiddett pleaded guilty to six charges, including attempting to cause or incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and intentionally arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offense.
Whiddett, who was granted bail, will be sentenced on May 22. Whiddett’s arrest led to the arrest of a Filipino mother in Butuan in the Philippines, who allegedly exploited her children for online sexual abuse. Police rescued six children, three boys and three girls aged three to 14 who were offered for online sex services.