HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A Hallandale Beach man is facing 16 felony charges after police discovered a series of video call recordings in which he told women he was dating to have their children perform sex acts for him on camera, according to Broward court documents made available Wednesday.
Hollywood police officers arrested Pedro Yovanny Villanueva, 27, on Sunday, according to jail records.
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According to a 25-page arrest warrant, the Hallandale Beach Police Department investigation into Villanueva began last year after police received tips from WhatsApp and Google that the Venezuelan national had uploaded child sexual abuse material to their platforms.
Police said they first identified four photos and videos: They depicted women sexually abusing boys aged 3 to 4 and 7 to 8.
The warrant states that police also found Google searches for WhatsApp groups dedicated to child sexual abuse material.
A subsequent search of Villanueva’s Gmail account revealed 24 images and videos of “possible child sexual abuse material” as well as a photo in which Villanueva’s face could be seen partially “as he took an upskirt picture of a female,” police said.
Police said they later executed a search warrant at Villanueva’s home on March 4 and found several cellphones and laptops. They said they found more than 120 images and videos of confirmed or possible child sexual abuse material.
One of the files depicted bestiality, according to police. The warrant doesn’t make clear if Villanueva was involved in creating those recordings or received them from someone else.
However, police said he was involved — and seen on — a series of video call recordings.
Villanueva, “who has dated several single women with small children in the past” is seen in the videos directing women to have their young daughters perform sex acts for him as he watched from his phone, the warrant states.
Police said Villanueva sent the women virtual gifts during the calls as they exploited their daughters.
It’s not clear if the women will face any charges. At least one of the women was from Venezuela and was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations agents, the warrant states.
Authorities said in the warrant they were working to identify one of the other victims and her mother.
Villanueva, who police said invoked his right to remain silent, is facing multiple charges each of production and possession of child pornography, soliciting a parent of a child for unlawful sexual conduct and lewd or lascivious exhibition over a computer.
He was being held in the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on a bond of more than $800,000, according to jail records.
If he were to post bond, a Broward judge ordered Villanueva must prove the funds came from a legitimate source. The judge also ordered that he surrender his passport, submit to electronic monitoring and have no contact with children. He would also be prohibited from using the Internet.