Former British soldier admits he paid money to watch Filipino children sexually assaulted online

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

A former lieutenant colonel at the British Army has admitted at a London court that he paid to watch and even direct Filipino children as they were being sexually assaulted over live streaming, various United Kingdom-based media reported last night (Manila time).

Andrew Whiddet, 70 years old, pleaded guilty to six charges of child sexual abuse at the Croydon Crown Court, reported Birmingham Live. After he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in October 2017, Whiddet confessed to authorities that he sent 158 payments to the Philippines in exchange for watching and directing live sex shows.

In one instance, Whiddet allegedly encouraged a nine-year-old Filipino girl and another under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity on cam, reported the BBC. 

Prior to visiting the Philippines in October 2016, Whiddet was found to have allegedly made a 25-minute phone conversation with a Filipina contact and told her that he wanted to sexually abuse the child whom she was grooming once he visits the country, according to the U.K.’s anti-crime government office National Crime Agency (NCA).

He allegedly told the woman to teach the Filipino child about sex and even quipped during the phone call: “Yes, darling, need to open her (child’s) mind.”

The NCA said they were able to prove that Whiddet allegedly paid the Filipino woman on the phone a total of UK£8,584 (US$11,075) for facilitating his meeting with the child.

The NCA also said they found messages which Whiddet allegedly sent to his Philippine contacts. One of the messages said, “If I visit would you let me see [your] daughter,” while another went, “If I visit what [would] you allow me to do.”

The NCA said they have sent the information they have about Whiddett’s activities to Filipino authorities, who have arrested one of his contacts. This led to the rescue of six children aged between three and 14.

Whiddett allegedly began his illegal activities after he left his job as the head of security of the British Embassy in Baghdad, reported Metro. He is currently out on bail and will be sentenced on May 22.



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