A Bangladeshi national accused of operating an international child sexual exploitation enterprise appeared in federal court in Alaska today after being extradited from Malaysia, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Zobaidul Amin, 28, faces charges related to the alleged abuse and exploitation of hundreds of minor victims in Alaska and elsewhere in the United States and abroad, according to court documents. A federal grand jury indicted Amin in July 2022 on multiple charges including conspiracy to produce child pornography, child exploitation enterprise, cyberstalking, and wire fraud.

The indictment alleges that Amin used social media applications including Instagram and Snapchat to identify and coerce minor victims to produce images and videos of sexually explicit and sadistic conduct, according to court documents.

Amin was living in Malaysia and attending medical school there when U.S. authorities filed charges against him. Malaysian authorities charged him in September 2022 with 13 counts related to the possession and production of child pornography, according to the Justice Department. The FBI and Justice Department worked in coordination with Malaysian authorities to secure his transfer, which occurred on March 4.

“Yesterday’s return from Malaysia of a Bangladeshi national who allegedly abused and sexually exploited hundreds of minor victims worldwide is another successful example of the Administration’s increased efforts to find criminals hiding abroad,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska described the case as having “international magnitude” and called it “one of the most prolific cases of alleged online child exploitation the United States has ever seen.”

The charges against Amin include conspiracy to produce child pornography, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, child exploitation enterprise, production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, cyberstalking, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, according to court documents. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years to life in prison.

FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that the bureau’s commitment to protecting children “doesn’t change whether an offender is here in the United States or overseas.”

“In collaboration with our partners, we will continue to ensure perpetrators like Amin are held accountable and brought to justice,” Patel said.

Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office said the case demonstrates that “those who target children online cannot hide behind anonymity or borders.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with support from multiple agencies, including Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department, Royal Malaysia Police, and law enforcement agencies from Wyoming and Oregon, according to the Justice Department.

Amin made his initial court appearance at 1:30 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, according to court records. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case represents a significant international law enforcement cooperation effort, with Heyman praising “the steady, strong collaboration among the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, law enforcement agencies and Malaysian partners that made this transfer possible.”