MANILA – Expect early solution of a crime when two nations shared factual information on the progress of any case.
This has been proven many times by the United States and the Philippines when both nations compared notes that led to the arrest and conviction of the accused and giving justice to the victim.
Citing the case of the 54-year-old Calvin Bernhardt, who was sentenced before Chief United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 50 years in prison, accused of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted receipt of materials depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, counterfeit currency, tampering with witness or evidence, and attempted travel with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor.
Bernhardt was found guilty on October 28, 2016, following nearly four days of trial.
This case originated through a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to a suspect in Tuttle, North Dakota who was believed to be utilizing Facebook to exploit a 14-year old female residing in the Philippines. In March 2016, a federal search warrant was executed on Bernhardt’s property in Tuttle, ND. Bernhardt was interviewed and admitted to corresponding with the victim and the victim’s mother in the Philippines via Facebook.
Bernhardt induced and enticed the 14-year-old minor to engage in and produce images of sexually explicit conduct via the internet. Bernhardt further induced the minor to send him the sexually explicit or sadistic and masochistic images.
Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) exchange of information led to the conviction of the accused.
Upon learning of an investigation into his illegal conduct, the suspect contacted the mother of the victim in the Philippines and instructed her to delete any images of himself and the minor on the minor’s cellphone and further instructed her to not talk to United States federal law enforcement officials in the Philippines.
Communications between Bernhardt and the victim revealed that the accused was attempting to arrange a meeting with the minor in a Philippine hotel with the intent of engaging in sexual acts with her.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations in Bismarck; Homeland Security Investigations-Manila, Philippines; and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant US Attorneys Gary Delorme and Jonathan O’Konek prosecuted the case.
“The courage of the victim, her willingness to testify, to tell the truth and not to be intimidated by the defendant was compelling,. With this conviction, Bernhardt will not harm anyone anymore,” said Ransom Avilla, Attaché for the Department of Homeland Security, ICE Homeland Security Investigations at the U.S. Embassy.”
In March 2016, a federal search warrant was executed on Bernhardt’s property in Tuttle, North Dakota. Bernhardt was interviewed and admitted to corresponding with the victim and the victim’s mother in the Philippines via Facebook.
Bernhardt was released pending trial but was re-arrested by HSI after he contacted the victim’s mother in the Philippines and instructed her to destroy evidence and not cooperate with law enforcement.
HSI Manila in cooperation with NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division (ATHRAD) and Philippine DOJ, Office of Cyber Crimes (DOJ OCC) located and rescued the victim of this investigation in Manila in May 2016.
In October 2016, both the victim and the victim’s mother traveled to the United States to testify at the trial which culminated with Bernhardt convicted on all six counts.
On February 6, 2016, Bernhardt was sentenced to 600 months (50 years) incarceration for his crimes. This case was led by the HSI offices in Manila and Bismarck, North Dakota, with assistance provided from a number of other HSI offices in the United States.
Those U.S. law enforcement entities worked closely with the Philippine Department of Justice Office of Cyber Crimes (DOJ-OCC), Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI- AHTRAD), and the Philippine DSWD. (PNA) FPV/SFM