A Hallandale Beach man sexually exploited children of women he was dating, police say

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla — A Hallandale Beach man is charged with 16 felony counts after police discovered a series of video call recordings in which he told women he was dating to have their children perform sexual acts for him on camera, like according to Broward court documents made available Wednesday.

Hollywood police officers arrested Pedro Yovanny Villanueva, 27, on Sunday, jail records show.

According to a 25-page arrest warrant, the Hallandale Beach Police Department’s investigation into Villanueva began last year after police received tips from WhatsApp and Google that the Venezuelan national had uploaded child sexual abuse material to their platforms.

Police said they initially identified four photos and videos: They showed women sexually abusing boys aged 3 to 4 and 7 to 8 years old.

The warrant states that police also found Google searches for WhatsApp groups dedicated to child sexual abuse material.

A subsequent search of Villanueva’s Gmail account revealed 24 images and videos containing “possible child sexual abuse material,” as well as a photo in which Villanueva’s face was partially visible “as he took an upskirt photo of a woman,” shared the police with.

Police said they later executed a search warrant at Villanueva’s home on March 4 and found several cellphones and laptops. They said they found more than 120 images and videos containing confirmed or possible child sexual abuse material.

According to police, one of the files showed bestiality. It is not clear from the arrest warrant whether Villanueva was involved in creating these recordings or received them from someone else.

However, police said he was involved in and seen making a number of video call recordings.

Villanueva, “who has dated several single women with young children in the past,” is seen in the videos instructing women to make their young daughters perform sexual acts for him while he watches from his phone, it is said in the arrest warrant.

Police said Villanueva sent virtual gifts to the women during the calls because they were exploiting her daughters.

It is unclear whether charges will be filed against the women. At least one of the women was from Venezuela and was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations agents, the warrant says.

Authorities said in the arrest warrant that they were working to identify one of the other victims and her mother.

Villanueva, who police said invoked his right to remain silent, faces multiple charges of producing and possessing child pornography, as well as charges of unlawful sexual conduct and lewd or lascivious computer exposure as a parent of a child.

He was being held at the Paul Rein Detention Center in Pompano Beach on bail of more than $800,000, according to jail records.

If he were to post bail, a Broward judge ordered Villanueva to prove the funds came from a legitimate source. The judge also ordered him to surrender his passport, undergo electronic monitoring and have no contact with children. He would also be prohibited from using the Internet.