Robert Pasteiner, 76, admitted 36 child abuse offences involving live-streamed abuse of children in the Philippines.
A 76-year-old man from West Sussex has admitted paying for children in the Philippines to be sexually abused on live-streams after a major National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation uncovered more than £200,000 in suspicious payments linked to child exploitation.
Robert Pasteiner, from Chichester, pleaded guilty to 36 child abuse offences at Portsmouth Crown Court on May 22, 2026. The charges included causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of children, arranging or facilitating child sexual exploitation, attempted sexual communication with a child, and making indecent images of children.
NCA investigators identified Pasteiner through financial transactions sent to individuals in the Philippines, including facilitators previously linked to live-streamed child sexual abuse operations. Authorities said Pasteiner had transferred more than £200,000 to contacts connected to the abuse network.
The investigation began after officers arrested Pasteiner at Heathrow Airport in February 2023 shortly before he was due to board a flight to the Philippines. Investigators examined his mobile phone and discovered evidence showing he had arranged to meet a 12-year-old girl at a hotel during the trip.
Officers searching his luggage found condoms, Viagra, jewellery, perfume, concealed false documents, and large amounts of Philippine currency. Subsequent searches of his home uncovered 15 electronic devices, six of which contained indecent images of children. Investigators also discovered handwritten notes documenting his communications with child abuse facilitators in the Philippines, including payment records and references to abuse “shows.”
According to the NCA, investigators worked closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Philippines to identify and safeguard victims linked to the case while also targeting facilitators involved in arranging the abuse.
The case highlights growing concern over live-streamed child sexual abuse, where offenders in countries including the UK pay facilitators overseas to direct and watch abuse live online. The NCA has warned that the UK remains one of the largest consumers of live-streamed child abuse globally.
Earlier this week, the NCA launched a new initiative with UK financial institutions, including NatWest, aimed at identifying suspicious payment patterns linked to live-streamed child sexual abuse. Investigators said tracking financial transactions could help authorities detect offenders earlier and protect victims faster.
Pasteiner is scheduled to be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on July 23, 2026.
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