Vasilenko, a photographer accused of child molestation, disappeared after being released on bail
Valentin Vasilenko, a 36-year-old photographer from Horishni Plavni who is accused of sexual abuse of minors, production of child pornography, and fraud, has been on the run from investigators since June 12.
A few weeks before his disappearance, he won a court case in Zakarpattia, where he had challenged accusations by border guards that he had attempted to illegally cross the border via the Tisa River. The court found no evidence of an intent to flee and dismissed the case.
Vasylenko had been held in the Sumy Pretrial Detention Center since 2020 in connection with a case involving sexual crimes against children. According to investigators, the number of minor victims in the case has risen to seven. In the fall of 2024, he was released from custody after posting bail in the amount of 908 thousand UAH.
In addition, in February 2026, the man and his accomplices were charged with a new offense: organizing a fraudulent scheme involving fake payments purportedly from the UN. According to law enforcement, the group’s members used Telegram, Viber, and Facebook to distribute phishing links, gain access to citizens’ bank cards, and steal funds.
The investigation identified at least 30 instances of fraud, resulting in total losses exceeding 1.1 million UAH. Law enforcement also believes that Vasylenko laundered part of the proceeds through real estate purchases.
Source: court documents.
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