On April 16, 2026, Ecuadorian authorities came together to execute simultaneous, highly coordinated field operations across multiple provinces. The purpose? To confront individuals suspected of creating and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Investigators with CiberPOL, a division of the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP), worked with prosecutors from the Fiscalía General del Estado and members of Our Rescue’s Latin American team to carry out three search and arrest warrants in the communities of Ambato and Santo Domingo. One of the suspects under investigation was a man serving as an altar server at a church in Ambato.
Cases took investigators months to build, going off CyberTips that had been submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and digital evidence. Authorities identified three Ecuadorian men connected to the production and storage of CSAM. Police confirmed that the suspects were using personal accounts on digital platforms to store photos and videos that they had created showing the sexual exploitation of children inside their own social and family circles.
On the morning of April 16, authorities made their move. They executed search warrants with technical and forensic teams to secure evidence. They also deployed Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 “Samai” to help ensure no evidence remained hidden at the scene. Samai diligently and methodically worked alongside officers to identify concealed electronics, enabling investigators to recover critical evidence that was hidden from authorities.
“Beyond each file, there is a real person, a violated childhood that deserves justice and protection,” said Pablo Viteri, K9 Samai’s handler. “These moments confront us with a very harsh reality and leave a significant emotional mark.”
In Ambato, investigators searched the residence of a 21-year-old suspect and confirmed that he possessed CSAM files produced by another individual involved in the case. As the investigation unfolded, authorities identified a 35-year-old suspect who held the position of altar server in a local church. Investigators determined that this man had leveraged his position at the church to gain access to teenage boys, exploiting them and recording those acts of sexual abuse. The man stored the material on multiple devices and while he had tried to hide this key evidence in his home, he was no match for ESD K9 Samai. The K9 located one of the man’s phones hidden inside socks in a drawer and external hard drives concealed in jacket pockets.
Thanks to ESD K9 Samai and his handler discovering this evidence, investigators were led to identify 7 survivors, 5 are currently minors and 2 are now adults but were minors at the time of exploitation.
At the same time, in Santo Domingo, police executed another warrant that led to the identification and arrest of a third suspect connected to the CSAM.
Achieving Results Through Partnership
Thanks in great part to high levels of coordination and professionalism, investigators seized a total of nine cell phones, three laptops, and two hard drives that contained more than 2,500 files of CSAM.
This was a complex, tightly orchestrated operation involving 45 law enforcement personnel, tactical teams, forensic specialists, child protection officers, prosecutors, and members of Our Rescue including our sponsored ESD K9 Samai.
Following the arrests, teams from Our Rescue, FGE, and ENP met with families of the identified survivors and offered support services to help them begin the process of healing. One mother chose to come forward and file an official police report, which helped bolster police efforts and ensure accountability.
In the time since, it has been found that one of the survivors has tested positive for HIV and Our Rescue’s Survivor Care team continues to be available for support and aftercare services.
The gravity and depth of this case, especially the trust that was broken in the communities where this case occurred, left people in shock. It is a difficult reality to comprehend – cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse can happen anywhere, even where the expectation is that families and children in a protected, sacred space.
“What continues to impact me most in cases like this is witnessing the devastation parents experience when they learn about the exploitation their children endured,” said Miguel Salazar Cordova, Our Rescue in Chile and Ecuador. “Without a doubt, it is incredibly difficult to witness parents nearly faint as they process the unimaginable reality of what their children endured, while tears are filled a mixture of anger, fear, disbelief, grief, helplessness, and profound sadness, emotions that slowly tear at you from the inside out.
As a parent myself, it is impossible not to feel the emotional weight of these moments. Yet, in the midst of such heartbreaking circumstances, it also serves as a powerful reminder of why our work matters so deeply.
These crimes do not discriminate. They can occur where we least expect them. This underscores the urgent nature of our shared mission to help rescue children from sexual exploitation.
Today, all three suspects remain in custody as judicial proceedings move forward.
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