{"id":258128,"date":"2026-04-20T17:20:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T17:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/258128\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T17:20:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T17:20:25","slug":"fbi-offers-25k-reward-for-fugitive-plano-man-in-child-exploitation-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/258128\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI Offers $25K Reward For Fugitive Plano Man In Child Exploitation Case"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a former Plano man accused of participating in an online group that coerced minors into producing child pornography.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Austin Jan Sy Yatco, who has ties to the Philippines and is believed to be there, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/contact-us\/field-offices\/dallas\/news\/fbi-offers-25000-reward-for-austin-jan-sy-yatco-for-crimes-against-children\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:fled;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;fled&quot;}\" class=\"link \">fled<\/a> the United States after a federal arrest warrant was issued on January 23, 2026, in the Eastern District of New York. He faces charges of conspiracy to produce child pornography and conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Federal authorities allege Yatco was involved between 2019 and 2021 with an online network known as Greggy\u2019s Cult. The group operated on gaming and social media platforms, targeting vulnerable children across the United States and internationally. Members allegedly pressured minors to create child sexual abuse material of themselves and then shared it within the group and beyond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The network predates a similar group called 764 and has been linked to encouraging self-harm, animal cruelty, sexual exploitation of siblings, and, in some cases, urging victims to attempt suicide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe FBI continues to prioritize the investigation of predators that threaten the safety of our children. We are committed to apprehending Austin Yatco, bringing justice to his victims, and preventing future abuse. We encourage the public to come forward with any information that could lead to his apprehension,\u201d said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Yatco has longstanding connections to Plano, Texas, where he lived before leaving the country. He speaks English and Tagalog and holds Filipino nationality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the FBI\u2019s Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov or through the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. All tips can remain anonymous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The FBI\u2019s Dallas Field Office is handling the investigation, and prosecution will occur in the Eastern District of New York.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The FBI has posted a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/PSA\/2023\/PSA230912\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:public service announcement;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;public service announcement&quot;}\" class=\"link \">public service announcement<\/a> warning about violent online groups that extort minors to self-harm and produce sex abuse material. The announcement also includes internet safety recommendations and a list of resources for victims of these crimes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[96897,96948,160,162,161,28954,64410,96949],"class_list":{"0":"post-258128","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-plano","8":"tag-austin-jan-sy-yatco","9":"tag-eastern-district-of-new-york","10":"tag-plano","11":"tag-plano-headlines","12":"tag-plano-news","13":"tag-social-media-platforms","14":"tag-the-fbi","15":"tag-vulnerable-children"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}