A 40-YEAR-OLD American national was arrested for bringing two minors in a beach resort around 11 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, in Barangay Talisay, Santa Fe in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
The suspect was identified as Jason Anderson Stone, a native of Oregon and a retired officer of the United States Navy. He was caught in Marlin’s Beach Resort.
Stone was reported to the police by the resort's staff after he checked in with a 16-year-old high school graduate and her sister, a 14-year-old elementary pupil.
Authorities arrested the foreigner as he has "no relation by consanguinity or affinity" with the minors.
The girls were brought to the social welfare office for counseling.
Stone will be charged with violation of Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, and RA 9208, or the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act as amended by RA 10364.
Section 10 (b) of RA 7610 prohibits any person to be in the company of “a minor, 12 years or under or who is 10 years or more his junior in any public or private place, hotel, motel, beer joint, discotheque, cabaret, pension house, sauna or massage parlor, beach and/or other tourist resort or similar places.”
Under RA 9208, a person is prohibited “to recruit, transport, transfer; harbor, provide, or receive a person by any means, including those done under the pretext of domestic or overseas employment or training or apprenticeship, for the purpose of prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage.” (SunStar Cebu)