MANILA, Philippines — A former lieutenant colonel in the British Army and security head at the British embassy in Baghdad will be sentenced on May 22 for Filipino child sex abuse, the United Kingdom National Crime Agency said.
The NCA said Andrew Whiddett of Portsmouth, Hampshire “paid to watch a nine-year-old be abused.”
The 70-year-old Whiddett spent thousands of pounds paying for and directing live-streamed child sexual abuse from the Philippines.
After leaving the Army, he was employed as a private contractor as head of security at the British embassy in Baghdad.
Whiddett committed the live-streaming abuse over Skype with known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators.
The NCA passed intelligence to Filipino counterparts who arrested one facilitator and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14.
Whiddett also discussed flying to the Philippines to commit contact child sexual abuse himself.
In conversations with one woman between September and October 2016, Whiddett made it clear he wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October.
In a 25-minute conversation with the woman on Sept. 28, 2016, he asked if the girl would be with her and said: “Need to do more teaching,” “Look forward to touch,” “Yes darling, need to open her mind” and “Lots of teaching before I arrive.”
Travel records showed he flew to Manila on Oct. 21, 2016.
NCA investigators were able to prove that he paid the woman a total of £8,584. He paid her 31 times, totaling £6,425, between January 2015 and January 2016. He made another 18 payments totaling £2,158 between April 2016 and July 2017.
At Croydon Crown Court, Whiddett admitted live-streaming offenses and making indecent images of children. These acts were carried out from the UK after he had retired from the Army and private security work.
NCA investigators were able to show that on Nov. 21, 2015, Whiddett paid £31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl abused.
Officers discovered other messages between Whiddett and abuse facilitators.
In one he said, “Nice pics,” and another stated, “Do you think I bad asking for them?”
He also asked: “If I visit would you, let me see daughter” and “If I visit what you allow me to do.”
Whiddett, who has no previous convictions, was arrested on Oct. 31, 2017 at Heathrow Airport.
In an interview, he admitted sending 158 payments to the Philippines but claimed they were for live adult sex shows.
Whiddett was interviewed again last month and declined to answer any questions.
“Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him,” NCA senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said.
“He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home. Anyone like him should realize the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes,” Fennelly added, emhasizing that the NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes.