Plymouth Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting Minors in the Philippines

BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has been arrested and charged with allegedly sexually exploiting two minor victims from the Philippines.

Robert Meserve, 38, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Meserve was arrested this morning in New Jersey and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to charging documents, in June 2025, law enforcement in Bergen County, New Jersey were notified of an individual – allegedly later identified as Meserve – engaging in communications, negotiating payment and directing the sexual abuse of children by their trusted adults on live streams, which Meserve screen recorded. It is alleged that an initial forensic examination of Meserve’s devices revealed files consistent with child sexual abuse material and numerous communications and corresponding payments, which detail the sexual abuse of these two minors in the Philippines – ages six and eight – including a non-verbal minor with disabilities.

The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, NJ, the United States Marshals Service, the Bergen County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Plymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.