⏱ 2 min read
A 47-year-old Maryland man, Philip Andrew Turner, has pleaded guilty to charges related to a Filipino child-sex trafficking ring. Turner, from Linthicum Heights, used Skype to persuade and coerce minor victims in the Philippines to engage in sexual activity between November 2017 and March 2018. He communicated with a known Filipino trafficker, directing the minors as they live-streamed their sexual activity in exchange for monetary payment.
Turner’s online activities were uncovered by law enforcement, who recovered his chats with the Filipino trafficker from the platform’s server. He facilitated approximately 110 Skype calls and exchanged around 40 media files, including images of Filipino children and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Turner used online electronic financial transactions to pay for the live-streamed child sexual abuse shows, completing 437 successful payments totaling over $29,000 to traffickers in the Philippines.
Law enforcement executed a federal warrant at Turner’s residence on October 28, 2025, recovering a laptop with his Skype account open. A forensic analysis revealed that Turner had downloaded a trove of CSAM using the Tor network just days before the search. The CSAM collection included more than 60 images.
Turner’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, along with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement officials. His sentencing is pending in federal court.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: Maryland
- Location: MD
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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