A Rego Park man will spend 15 years in prison after admitting to directing women online to sexually abuse children and send him photographs and videos of the abuse in exchange for money, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Keith Liwanag, 27, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in June 2018. He was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and upon completion of his sentence, Liwanag must register as a sex offender.
“This is a just sentence for a defendant who used technology to victimize vulnerable children half a world away,” United States Attorney Richard Donoghue said. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation will always be a priority of this Office.”
According to charges, Liwanag used a Facebook account in September and October of 2016 to direct women in the Philippines to engage in sexual acts with children in exchange for money. After they would engage in the acts, Liwanag would have the women produce and send child pornography over Facebook’s private messaging service.
During the government’s investigation, authorities seized more than 50 recorded video conferences between Liwanag and women who were sexually abusing children over Facebook and Skype, prosecutors said. The investigation also revealed that Liwanag had shared the videos he created online.
“Liwanag paid others to victimize children for his own pleasure,” said HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez. “His use of women in the Philippines to exploit children for the production of child pornography is not just criminal, it’s evil. Because of the great work of law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office, he will now serve 15 years for his unfathomable acts, facing the full justice of his actions behind bars.”
