In a landmark case, a Dominican Army officer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a 7-year-old boy and possession of child pornography. Second Lieutenant Warren Andrés Alcántara Báez was found guilty by the Second Collegiate Court of the National District, the Attorney General Office reports.
What is most interesting of the case was that the trigger to detain the abuser came from “the cloud.” The investigation was begun by Dominican authorities after a Cyber Tip Line report was generated and Google notified the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) that would contact the Dominican authorities. The report was generated after the child pornography material was automatically backed up to Google Drive cloud service.
The situation occurred in 2021 when the mother had a sexual relationship with the army officer at her home and would later leave her son at home, where the child would fall prey to the officer.
A search of Alcántara Báez’s home turned up thousands of images and videos of child pornography. He was charged with violating several articles of Law 53-07 on High-Tech Crimes and Offenses, the Dominican Penal Code, and the Code for the Protection and Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents (Law 136-03).
The prosecution presented a strong case with testimonial, documentary, expert, and material evidence. The court found Alcántara Báez guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in prison and a fine of RD$500,000 to the victim’s mother.
The case highlights the important role of technology companies like Google in combating child sexual abuse. Their cooperation with law enforcement agencies is crucial in identifying and prosecuting perpetrators.
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Attorney General Office
Noticias SIN
Cyber Tip
19 February 2025