The United States has charged one of its own diplomats for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor while he was stationed at the US embassy in Manila, the US Department of Justice said.

“A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a member of the US Foreign Service with engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and possession of child pornography,” the US DOJ said in a statement.

Dean Cheves, 61 years old, served the US foreign service and was based in Manila from September 2020 to February 2021. 

While here, Cheves was found to have engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old, “and produced cell phone videos of himself engaging in the sex acts each time,” according to the statement.

Cheves was also found with child porn materials, which were seized from his embassy residence in Manila.

Cheves was charged with one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of possessing child pornography in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

For the illicit sexual conduct, the maximum penalty was 30 years, and for possessing child pornography, 10 years. – Rappler.com