The Arrests: Music Teacher and Medical Worker Implicated

A disturbing case involving the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material has come to light, resulting in the arrest of a 50-year-old music teacher and a 27-year-old medical worker based in the Philippines. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in creating and selling videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

Details of the Investigation

The Immigration Customs Agency (ICE) and Homeland Security Bureau (HSI) announced the arrests of Joshua de Wit, 50, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Christopher Allen Tisoi, 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, on May 7th and 8th, respectively. Federal charges have been filed against both individuals for the alleged creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

According to ICE, De Wit initiated contact with a minor via Snapchat starting in september of the previous year. By December, he had reportedly uploaded illicit content to the platform. The investigation gained momentum in January following a search conducted by Cambridge judicial authorities.

Most of the video was taken in the Philippines and was 10 and 12 years old. I was 16 years old when I was in Korea and Japan.

Forensic analysis of De Wit’s phone revealed Telegram conversations indicating further involvement in child exploitation. reports indicate that De Wit referenced his time in Korea, where he worked as a music teacher, suggesting a pattern of behavior spanning multiple countries.

The Philippines Connection: A Hub for Online Sexual Abuse

De Wit allegedly contacted Tisoi through Telegram, seeking to commission the creation of child sexual abuse material. Over a period from July 2023 to December of the same year, De Wit is said to have transferred $23,752 to Tisoi in 87 separate transactions. [[3]]

De Wit allegedly provided specific instructions to Tisoi regarding the type of content he desired, effectively commissioning the abuse of specific children. Tisoi, in turn, allegedly directed a Filipino assistant to produce the videos, which involved at least two male minors.

The Philippines has become a focal point in the fight against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC). In 2021,an estimated two million children in the Philippines were subjected to online sexual abuse and exploitation [[1]].This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect vulnerable children from online predators.

The Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) legislation introduced in the Philippines in 2022 aims to hold not only perpetrators accountable but also the technology companies that enable these crimes [[2]].

A Transactional View of Abuse

The federal prosecution asserts that De Wit and tisoi engaged in a calculated scheme to produce videos tailored to their specific sexual preferences. Tisoi allegedly characterized the production and sharing of child sexual abuse material as a “transaction” in his communications with De Wit, highlighting the cold and calculated nature of their alleged crimes.

Background of the Accused

At the time of his arrest, De Wit was employed as a music teacher at a private school in Massachusetts.Tisoi, a Filipino national, had entered the United States on an H-1B visa in September 2024 and was working as a medical engineer at a hospital in Baltimore City.

Combating Child exploitation: Project Safe Childhood

This case underscores the critical importance of initiatives like Project Safe Childhood, led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. This project marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals involved in child exploitation [[3]].