SEVEN women from Cordova town, Cebu are facing a string of criminal complaints before the prosecutor’s office for their alleged involvement in the online sexual exploitation of minors.
The police’s Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Office filed last July 5 at least 40 counts of violations related to cyber-pornography against the suspected online human traffickers before the Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor.
Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane announced yesterday the filing of charges of qualified trafficking in persons, child abuse and sexual assault against the alleged online traffickers.
This came after the conviction of Swedish national Bengt Kristofferson in 2013 for possession of child pornography, conspiracy to rape children and incitement to commit aggravated rape.
The forensics exam on Kristofferson’s computer showed numerous child abuses involving six girls ages four to 11 from 2009 to 2010.
Of the 127 pornographic materials seized from his laptop, about 20 of the images involved children from Cebu.
In a statement, the International Justice Mission-Cebu field office said that the perpetrators of the brutal sexual abuse and exploitation of children online should be held accountable for their crimes.
“It does not only involve stripping children naked, which in itself is deeply traumatizing. In most cases, children are made to engage in sexually explicit acts,” IJM said. (JOB)