Trigger warning: Even with some of the more graphic details removed, this trafficker’s explicit conversation may be disturbing to some readers. Please read with discretion.

Austin suppressed a shudder as the pedophile next to him described twisted sexual fantasies, pointing out young kids playing on the busy Filipino street as they drove. 

Austin was undercover as a child sex buyer. The man in the car with him, Dennis, was wanted by the United States FBI and Filipino NBI for selling child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. 

Dennis had already incriminated himself enough for an arrest. “He was scrolling through his phone… pages and pages and pages of CSAM,” Austin recalled. 

All he had to do was give the “go” signal, and NBI officers would surround the vehicle and arrest the child trafficker.

And yet, Austin hesitated.

Being in close proximity to the depraved criminal was taxing. He was more than ready to be done with this case, but something about the photos of the young children on the trafficker’s phone made Austin hesitate. As Dennis scrolled, it became more apparent that these weren’t all pictures pulled from the internet or extorted online; it looked like Dennis had taken some photos himself.

For someone committed to rescuing children, that changed things. For Austin, simply seeing Dennis arrested wasn’t enough.

An arrest in the US leads overseas

The case began weeks earlier when the FBI arrested a man in the United States. An investigation into the man’s devices revealed that much of the explicit sexual media depicting children in his possession came from Dennis, a well-to-do Filipino man with a penchant for selling horrific child abuse media to degenerate buyers around the world.

The FBI contacted authorities in the Philippines, who took over the case. One of their agents made contact with Dennis online, pretending to be the pedophile who was arrested in the United States. When it became evident that Dennis was willing to meet in person, the NBI called our team to help with the bust. They needed a foreigner to play the part of the American pedophile and knew that they could count on our agents to play the part professionally. 

Officers briefed Austin on the persona he’d need to adopt to take over the undercover work and issued him a phone to contact Dennis. He familiarized himself with the American offender’s past correspondence; he’d need to act and speak in a way that Dennis would recognize so as not to arouse suspicion. 

Meeting a monster

Once everything was in place, Austin met the trafficker in a local mall, carrying luggage just like a traveling tourist would. Right off the bat, the experienced agent could tell there was something different about Dennis.

This was no desperate parent or impoverished local trying to make ends meet. “He was well-to-do,” noted Austin. Dennis wasn’t trafficking kids because he felt he had no other choice. He did it because he wanted to.

As the two talked, Austin was surprised when Dennis started speaking like a consoling mentor, cautioning Austin to be careful while condoning the criminal, disgusting practice. “Pedophilia is illegal, even though it’s a valid (attraction),” Dennis said. “There are people who won’t understand, but I understand you.”

(Pedophilia is defined as a sexual perversion or psychiatric disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child.)

Austin was repulsed at the child abuser’s words but maintained his cover.

Dennis’ warnings that Austin should be “careful” were all the more ironic considering the circumstances. As the two men made their way out of the mall to a waiting private taxi, they were being watched by dozens of eyes. “The NBI was undercover as people in the mall (and) they followed us in cars,” Austin said. 

Even their driver was an NBI undercover agent, recording everything that happened in the vehicle. 

Then, Austin bought CSAM from Dennis, solidifying the criminal case against him. At this point, Austin had a choice: the NBI had given him the option of calling in the cavalry or further engaging the suspect to see if they could locate victims. The NBI left that decision up to him.

Making the call

Though he could end the operation now, Austin was convinced he could turn this arrest into a rescue operation. The lewd way Dennis spoke about the children they passed on the road was telling. 

So, Austin decided to carefully broach the subject of “partying” in person.

Dennis took the bait. He told Austin that for less than USD$20 each, he could purchase time with several boys. Austin recalled being internally disgusted at the way the trafficker spoke of children like stock animals. “You’ll like this new batch that I’ve got,” Dennis told Austin. “They’re younger; they haven’t aged out.” 

Dennis made a phone call as they drove to a different part of the city, instructing the boys on where to meet them. 

They finally stopped on the side of the road, where three children climbed in. 

As soon as the children got in the SUV, Dennis immediately began trying to engage the kids in obscenely explicit conversation. The trafficker was undaunted by how shy and nervous they looked, ignoring Austin’s attempts to change the subject. Austin was appalled: “I couldn’t wait until the car pulled over and he got arrested.”

Dennis then instructed the driver to take them to a secluded place outside the city. That complicated matters; officers and caseworkers were still standing by in the city, secretly following the vehicle—driving out of town would impede the bust significantly, potentially endangering the children. 

The arrest

Thinking quickly, the undercover officer driving their car suggested that the group stop for lunch. Dennis declined, but Austin, picking up on the plan, insisted. Finally, Dennis acquiesced. As the group pulled into a parking place at a fast-food restaurant, the car was suddenly surrounded by officers. Before Dennis could react, NBI agents pulled him from the vehicle, placing the trafficker under arrest.

Caseworkers took the boys, two 16-year-olds and one 14-year-old, to safety. The children were innocently naive—only one of the boys, Dennis’s primary contact, had any clue about the sinister nature of the trip; the other two thought they were just going swimming.

After the arrest, Austin breathed a sigh of relief.

Our interviewer asked how he kept his composure while in close proximity to the monstrous offender. 

That iron discipline, the ability to maintain cover despite his internal revulsion, is one of the reasons the NBI values our agents on missions like this. They aren’t in it for a photo op or money; these real-life heroes give of themselves to rescue children day in and day out, wading into the darkness to draw out suffering children. Their laser focus is rooted in concern for the child above all else, and that focus makes them powerful assets to law enforcement agencies around the world. After a grueling case like this one, agents lean on each other or make use of Destiny Rescue’s support services to process and disconnect from that darkness.

Thanks to operatives like Austin, children around the world are being set free from the grip of sex offenders. But more kids are still trapped, suffering terrible abuse day after day. Your gift can free a child from a monster like Dennis. Fill out the form below to rescue a child today.