Sunday, June 11, 2006
P200T allows suspect to leave prison
CEBU CITY -- The American national who was arrested for allegedly maintaining a cybersex studio in an apartment in Lapu-Lapu City was released from jail after posting P200,000 as his bail bond.
Police Officer 2 Candido Barinque of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station told Sun.Star Cebu that Marc Anthony Woolbright, 52, a son of a business family in Cebu, walked out of jail at 2:30 p.m. on the strength of a release order from Regional Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg.
As this developed, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 is planning to include Woolbright's live-in-partner, identified as Cherry Bem "Beth" Bacus, in the case for violations of the Trafficking in Persons Law.
Senior Superintendent Jose Jorge Corpuz told reporters Saturday that some of the women, who were found half-naked inside Woolbright's apartment while posing in front of the web cameras, executed an affidavit against the live-in partners.
In the women's statements, Corpuz said, it came out that it was Bacus who allegedly promised them jobs in Lapu-Lapu City. They later found out that they had to pose naked in front of web cameras.
The eight women, who are considered victims, have been released from the custody of the CIDG 7.
CIDG 7 Deputy Chief Rex Derilo, in a separate interview, said the women received at least P11,000 every 15 days.
Clients, however, paid on a per session basis. The online payments were allegedly deposited in Woolbright's account.
Derilo said the operation was Woolbright's alleged business, with Bacus serving as his caretaker or manager.
Corpuz and Derilo said they will be filing the appropriate complaint against Woolbright and Bacus on Tuesday before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor's Office.
But Woolbright's legal counsel Reynaldo Cortes, in a report over dyLA, said he is planning to question the legality of the raid.
He also said Woolbright could not be charged with violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law because the women, who were friends of Bacus, only went to the apartment to use the Internet for free, instead of spending money in an Internet café.
Woolbright was also out of the country for one month and could not have managed the operations, he said. When the CIDG 7 operatives went to the apartment, Woolbright had just arrived in Cebu from abroad. (JST/Sun.Star Cebu)
(June 11, 2006 issue)
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