Investigators in Saint Petersburg have found 2,000 pornographic photos and videos on electronic devices belonging to Pyotr Zhilkin, who has been charged over the murder of nine-year-old Pasha.
The discovery was reported by state news agency RIA Novosti, which cited Vladimir Zakharyan, the head of the second investigation department within the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Saint Petersburg. Authorities recovered the explicit material during a search of Zhilkin's personal computer and mobile phone.
According to investigators, the seized photos and video clips included recordings that depicted underage girls and boys. Zhilkin told officers during interrogation that he had downloaded all of the materials from the internet. Law enforcement agencies are now checking the suspect to determine whether he is linked to any other crimes committed against children.
Disappearance and arrest in Pskov Oblast
The case began when nine-year-old Pasha vanished on January 30 in Saint Petersburg. The child entered a car driven by an unfamiliar man and stopped responding to communications shortly afterward, prompting a search operation by local police.
Law enforcement officers subsequently traced the ownership of the vehicle to Zhilkin. Officers located and detained the suspect in Pskov Oblast, a federal region located to the south-west of Saint Petersburg near Russia's western border.
After being taken into custody, Zhilkin confessed to the crime and directed investigators to the exact location where he had hidden the boy's body. Previous reports indicated that the child had fallen victim to sexual violence during the incident. If convicted, Zhilkin faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Federal law enforcement role
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation operates as the country's central agency responsible for overseeing criminal inquiries into severe offenses, including child exploitation and homicide. Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, falls under the jurisdiction of the committee's regional directorates for complex criminal prosecutions.
