Filipino teacher nabbed at US airport over alleged child porn

NEW YORK CITY — A Filipino college teacher was arrested at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina over the weekend over alleged child pornography, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, Jestoni Jumaquio Pestaño, was awaiting a flight to Japan on Saturday when he was apprehended by Homeland Security agents and airport police, it said in a statement.

Pestaño was transported to the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, where he was served a warrant for Felony Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, previously obtained by Detective Sergeant C. Watkins. 

Pestaño was subsequently placed in the Halifax County Detention Center without bond due to his potential flight risk.

On February 15, 2024, detectives from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigations Division received a report of child pornography being shared in Halifax County via Instagram to another user in the Philippines. 

Detectives then initiated an investigation and determined that the media was being sent from a local IP address. They later on identified Pestaño, a teacher at Halifax County Early College, as the one allegedly responsible for sending the images. 

Multiple search warrants have been obtained and executed at the school and Pestaño's residence.

The investigation is ongoing, with the possibility of additional charges being filed against the suspect. —KBK, GMA Integrated News