American airline pilot Michael Carey Clemans guilty of sex with Filipino children

Michael Carey Clemans
Michael Carey Clemans faces life imprisonment for his crimes

American airline pilot Michael Carey Clemans has been convicted of travelling to the Philippines to have sex with children.

A federal jury in Sacramento found Clemans guilty of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and buying of children.

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On the first day of his trial, Clemans, aged 57, pleaded guilty to three additional counts involving child pornography.

Since June 2014, Clemans had conspired with a Filipino woman to produce child pornography. Clemans was then living in Bangkok, where he worked as an airline pilot.

In April 2015, Clemans returned to Sacramento and continued to chat with the Filipino woman. He discussed ways to ensnare underage girls to rape, suggesting the woman seek out orphans and typhoon victims.

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Clemans paid the woman nearly $6,000 to buy photographic equipment and find discreet locations for sexually explicit photo shoots. The victims were as young as seven.

He gave the woman specific instructions on how to photograph the children so he could decide which he would travel to the Philippines to rape.

On some occasions, Clemans paid a co-conspirator to obtain temporary custody of children in the Philippines and produce child pornography for him.

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Evidence was presented during the trial that he travelled to Manila in November 2013 to have sex with children, including an 11-year-old.

Accomplices of Michael Carey Clemans

Two of his Filipino accomplices, Lyan Tandeg and Shellina Atad, were arrested in November 2015. They were charged with charged with qualified trafficking and syndicated child pornography.

Children found with the women ranged from eight to 11 years old. Tandeg and Atad offered them for sex with foreigners for 3,000 pesos a night.

They were caught by undercover agents during a sting operation at an Angeles City coffee shop.

Clemans is due to be sentenced December 12. He faces a minimum sentence of 30 years for the charge of buying children. The maximum penalty is life in prison with a $250,000 fine.