2 Swedish get life sentence for human trafficking

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Two Swedish nationals were sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court here on Tuesday for operating a cybersex den and employing minors to pose naked before foreign clients.

Judge Jeoffre W. Acebido of Misamis Oriental Regional Trial Court branch 41 found Swedish national Bo Stefan Sederholm, 31, and Emil Andreas Solemo, 35, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of trafficking in persons.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Also meted with 20 years imprisonment for same offense were three Filipinos, namely: Andrea Galdones Romero, Arvy Pablo Baylon and Aminoding Lomangcolcob Rangaig.

The court fined Sederholm and Solemo P2 million each, while their Filipino cohorts were ordered to pay P1 million each.

In its 25-page decision, the court said, "It will not shirk from its duty to impose the most severe of penalties against anybody, be he a foreign national or a citizen of this country who tramples upon the dignity of a woman by taking advantage of her vulnerability."

The court added that the foreign nationals "should not abuse the hospitability and protection accorded to them during their temporary stay in the country by making it a haven for their criminal activities."

"Disrespect for Filipino women and violations of our laws deserve the strongest condemnations from this court," it added.

On April 23, 2009, police arrested the Swedish nationals and three Filipinos at a cybersex den located in a middle class subdivision along Kauswagan highway, where 17 minor models were found naked while video chatting with foreign clients.

One of the models told police that the Swedish nationals offered them P15,000 each in exchange for posing nude in front of the web camera.

Authorities recovered during the raid computers, web cameras, a satellite dish and a powerful cable antenna along with a whole gallery of sex toys.

Jose Justo Yap, National Bureau of Investigation regional director, said the two foreign nationals will be committed to Bureau of Corrections in Muntinlupa or to the Davao Penal Colony where they will serve their sentences. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)