American Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Exploiting Filipino Child Porn

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains mention of child sexual abuse.

Michael Carey Clemans was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of buying children, conspiring and traveling with intent to engage in illegal sexual conduct. He also pleaded guilty to conspiring, producing, and receiving child pornography.

The 57-year-old man was an army veteran with zero criminal records who returned to California, after working in Bangkok for two years. That’s when his sick plan started and he began to travel back and forth to the Philippines.

In 2014, he sent $6,000 to a Filipino woman named Lyan Tandeg so she could purchase equipment to photograph naked children who were purposely chosen as they were vulnerable.

“I want to be able to get my photos and arrange sex with the underage girls. I do not want you or me to get into trouble so we have to be very, very careful.

That is the reason I mentioned orphanages or runaways or abandoned girls from the typhoons. I am looking for girls that are homeless, that will not argue and will have no obligation but to have sex.”

— Clemans to Tandeg

After receiving the photos from Tandeg, Clemans decided which girls he would rape while on his travels. He also hired another woman, Shellina Atad, to obtain temporary custody of the girls in order to produce child pornography.

Both Tandeg and Atad were arrested in 2015 and were sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, Clemans communicated with over 50 child porn providers and collected over 27,000 child porn images.

Clemans’ attorney, Daniel Olmos, argued that Clemans’ cooperation in helping authorities catch his co-conspirators should be considered. Clemans also plans to appeal his sentence.

U.S. District Judge John Mendez said his “unthinkable, inexcusable” crimes cannot be outweighed.

“Mr. Clemans is a dangerous man. A danger particularly to children.” 

— U.S. District Judge John Mendez