FBI offers $25,000 reward for former Plano man accused of child exploitation

The FBI has increased the reward to as much as $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Austin Jan Sy Yatco, a former Plano resident who federal authorities say helped exploit minors online and is now believed to be in the Philippines.

Agents say Yatco, also known as “Hairy Lips” and Austin Yatco, was wanted under federal arrest warrant after one was issued Jan. 23, 2026, in the Eastern District of New York. The FBI says he was born Aug. 27, 1998, in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines, is a Filipino national who speaks English and Tagalog, and has a degree in computer science. The bureau also says he worked in the technology sector and has ties to Plano.

Investigators say the alleged conduct occurred between 2019 and 2021 and involved an online group that operated across gaming and social media platforms. According to the FBI, minors were manipulated and coerced into producing child sexual abuse material that was then shared inside the group and beyond it. Federal prosecutors in December charged five leaders of the network known as Greggy’s Cult, alleging the group used Discord and other video-chat platforms and reached victims through games such as Roblox, Counter-Strike and Global Offensive.

For parents in Plano and across Collin County, the warning signs are not abstract. The FBI says violent online networks use threats, blackmail, grooming and manipulation to pressure children, often targeting young people through social media, gaming platforms and mobile apps. Those networks typically prey on victims ages 10 to 17, though the bureau says some have been as young as 9. A child suddenly guarding a phone, moving conversations to private chat apps, or becoming fearful after online contact deserves immediate attention.

The case also lands in the middle of a broader North Texas crackdown. In June 2025, FBI Dallas and the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said Operation Soteria Shield involved more than 70 law-enforcement agencies, rescued 109 children and led to 244 arrests. Plano police were among the agencies involved, a reminder that child-exploitation cases often move across city lines, state lines and national borders before investigators can catch up.

The FBI says Yatco is wanted under NCIC number W043456932 and is believed to be living in the Philippines. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the FBI Dallas Field Office, a local FBI office, a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip through the FBI’s online tip system.