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Recovering victims, empowering survivors in Latin America All negative comments will be swiftly deleted to maintain the spirit of the site.

Libertas International seeks to empower prevention, liberation, and restoration for survivors of human trafficking in Latin America.

06/03/2026

Over the next week, we are going to be bragging how much we love and their desire to do good all around Arizona and all around the world.

We at Libertas International are so honored to partner with them. Their support has led to the freedom and healing of so many children who are freed from the evils of human trafficking and modern day slavery.

We love them so much and encourage our followers to give them a follow to see the amazing good they continue to do!

05/31/2026

Evanston, Wyoming 🖊️

EVANSTON (WNE) — A man who pleaded guilty to five counts of felony possession and distribution of child s*x abuse material — including artificial intelligence (AI) generated images of an underage victim closely acquainted with him — has been sentenced to 12 to 18 years behind bars.

Matthew McDowell, 47, is a Bridger Valley native, formerly of Evanston.

He was first arrested in June 2025 following a year-long investigation by the Southwest Enforcement Team Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations after the agency received CyberTips from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

While free on bond awaiting court proceedings for the initial set of charges, McDowell was again arrested in September 2025 after investigators discovered additional illicit material consisting of AI-generated child s*x abuse material using the face of a minor victim known to McDowell.

At the time of McDowell’s crimes, the state of Wyoming did not have a statute specifically regarding “morphed” or AI-generated images, but statute did define “child po*******hy” as any visual depiction of a child engaging in explicit s*xual conduct.

This year, the state legislature passed House Bill (HB) 102 to protect kids from deepfakes and exploitative images; it takes effect on July 1. The bill outlaws the creation, possession and/or distribution of AI-produced CSAM, defining it as a felony charge punishable by 5 to 12 years behind bars.

Further concerning, SWET Special Agent Daniel Allison said during McDowell’s sentencing in the Third District Court, is that as McDowell’s social media accounts were flagged and suspended for suspected im propriety, he simply created new accounts.

McDowell said the list of those he owes apologies to continues to grow and that he will “make restitution” and accept the consequences of his actions.

05/30/2026

Salt Lake City, Utah 🖊️ ABC4

Sameer Syed has been convicted by a jury of money laundering, a second-degree felony, and of exploiting prostitution, a third-degree felony.

As part of his verdict on May 14, the jury found Syed not guilty of a pattern of unlawful activity, two additional counts of exploiting prostitution, and money laundering. Charges were first filed against Syed in April 2020.

Syed’s sentencing is set for Aug. 12, 2026. He faces 1 to 15 years in prison for the second-degree felony and up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony.

Rezvan Saisani, the owner of the motel, was charged at the same time as Syed back in 2020. He pleaded guilty to money laundering, exploiting prostitution, and public nuisance in March 2023 and was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence, during which he served jail time and three years of probation.

The tips stated that the motel was being used for commercial s*x and drug trafficking.

Law enforcement began conducting physical surveillance and undercover operations where officers posed as commercial s*x workers and purchasers, and well and performing drug buys.

Saisani was identified as the owner of the Salt City Inn, with Syed being the manager who worked closely with him, documents say. The two were “not only aware” of the drug and s*x trafficking, but allegedly encouraged it so they could benefit financially.

They reportedly collected “visitor fees” from those meeting s*x workers at the inn, which was a minimum of $10. Law enforcement says they also propositioned the commercial s*x workers to receive free rent in exchange for their “services.”

During their undercover operations, law enforcement was able to corroborate this information. At one point, agents who were surveilling the area were approached by Saisaini, who offered to bring them to the other side of the building where the “better girls” were.

05/29/2026

Salt Lake City, Utah 🖊️

A repeat child s*x offender has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for filming and photographing s*xually explicit content of a child.

Andrew Craig Petersen, 36, of Salt Lake City, was initially indicted in 2022 for production of child s*x abuse material, transportation of child s*x abuse material, and violating requirements for registered s*x offenders. He pleaded guilty in August to the production of child s*xual abuse material in exchange for the dismissal of the other two charges.

Petersen will serve life on probation following his imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution to the victim.

Petersen used his cellphone to film and photograph a 7-year-old girl in s*xually explicit poses and circumstances, according to court documents. The victim was the child of a woman with whom he was in a relationship.

Petersen admitted in his plea statement that he created images and videos of the female child while she was fully n**e. Some of the material was created while the child was sleeping on a bed and “for purposes of my own s*xual arousal or gratification,” he said in his plea.

He then uploaded the material to an online account he maintained, which was then reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, court documents state.

Petersen undertook these actions while he was on probation for a state conviction of attempted child s*xual exploitation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Utah said.

In 2022, Petersen was charged in Utah’s 3rd District Court with 10 counts of aggravated s*xual exploitation of a child, a first-degree felony, and 10 counts of s*xual exploitation of a child, a second-degree felony. These charges were dismissed a month later, however, due to the federal indictment for which he was just sentenced.

“Petersen is a repeat child s*x offender who preyed on a 7-year-old; he has proven again that he cannot be trusted around children,” said first assistant U.S. attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “His 25-year sentence is appropriately severe and serves as a stern reminder that crimes against children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

05/28/2026

A 23-year-old Brigham Young University student was arrested after police say he was distributing videos of young girls in s*xual situations.

William Scott Messer is charged with two counts of felony distribution of child exploitative material.

According to police reports, a Rexburg police officer received a cybertip on Feb. 11 regarding a Snapchat video allegedly uploaded by someone using an IP address associated with an apartment building in Rexburg.

The video reportedly showed a young girl between 10 and 12 years old in a s*xual situation.

Police traced the Snapchat account back to Messer and learned that he had allegedly sent the video to multiple people. Later, police found a second video on the account, depicting a young girl between the ages of 11 and 12 engaged in a s*xual situation.

According to the report, police contacted BYU-Idaho security, which confirmed that Messer was a student and provided his address. EastIdahoNews.com also reached out to the BYU-Idaho Public Affairs Director, Brett Crandall, for further confirmation that Messer was a student, and we have not heard back. We will update if we learn more information.

On May 20, police initiated a traffic stop on Messer as he was driving near the intersection of 5th West and Mikan Drive. He was detained and transported to the Rexburg Police Department for an interview, while detectives began searching his home.

During the interview, police say Messer admitted to “saving, sharing, probably ma********ng, and deleting child po*******hy.” Messer was arrested and booked into the Madison County Jail on a $50,000 bond. It was later reduced to $25,000, and Messer paid bail and was released on May 21.

According to court records, Messer is allowed to use electronic devices while out on bail, but will be monitored by pre-trial services. He is also not allowed to be in contact with anyone under 18 unless he is being supervised.

05/27/2026

Medellín, Colombia 🖊️ El Colombiano.

Migración Colombia have been cracking down on so called “Passport Bros” this week preventing many of them from entering Colombia and deporting many who already created business there involving practices that can be considered exploitative to women and children. Many see it as men who take advantage of economic desperation of women in developing countries.

05/26/2026

The United Kingdom was rocked this last week by a case involving the r**e of two 15 year old girls at the hands of three teenage boys.

Outrage in the country has escalated due to the three boys not being held accountable for their crimes.

We at Libertas International share our outrage at the lack of accountability that the government displayed in allowing these abusers to skirt responsibility.

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day from all of us here at Libertas International

05/23/2026

Toledo, Ohio 🖊️ FBI

This FBI just received a guilty plea in a multi-state investigation involving the s*xual exploitation of children.

Last spring, our local partners in Toledo, Ohio arrested a subject Brett Tooman after he allegedly traveled to the area to s*xually abuse a 7-year-old girl.

That investigation ultimately led to multiple other individuals, including one subject, Lincoln Erickson, who was working as a medical resident at a Michigan hospital. Erickson had been linked to the same case receiving AI-generated child po*******hy and discussing traveling to s*xually abuse children.

This FBI arrested Mr. Erickson in December. This week, Mr. Erickson pled guilty to those charges.

More lives saved thanks to FBI investigators and partners’ relentless work protecting kids.

05/22/2026

Afganistán 🖊️

A decree published by the Taliban government in Afghanistan has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and human rights groups for implicitly recognizing child marriage and further eroding women’s rights.

The Taliban government, which has imposed some of the world’s toughest restrictions on women and girls since taking over Afghanistan in 2021, has rejected the accusations. It also claims to have saved thousands of women and girls from forced marriages.

Here is a look at what the decree says.

Child marriage appears implicitly allowed.

The decree regulates divorce in Afghanistan, including defining the conditions for the separation of girls who were married before puberty.

Article 5 states: “Upon reaching puberty, the minor has the option to dissolve the marriage” that a relative may have contracted for her.

Puberty generally occurs between ages 8 and 13, according to the U.S. National Institute for Health. But Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, told The New York Times in a series of voice messages that most Afghan women reached that stage between 15 and 18.

Fereshta Abbasi, the Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that child marriage was legal under previous governments “but only between the ages of 15 and 16” and with the parents’ permission.

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