THREE children, including a three-week-old baby, are now safe from online sexual exploitation following the arrest of a suspected online trafficker on Monday, Feb. 4.
Members of the Women and Children Protection Center–Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-VFU) conducted the arrest and rescue operation in Alcantara town in southwestern Cebu at 1 p.m.
They caught the 32-year-old suspect offering to sexually abuse her 13-year-old daughter and to livestream the sexually explicit acts for a foreigner online in exchange for money.
The 13-year-old girl was rescued by the police.
The rescued girl’s three-year-old sister and a three-week-old baby girl, the sisters’ cousin, were also removed as “at-risk” children because they were under the suspect’s care.
During an online surveillance, the suspect sent non-explicit photos of the toddler and the baby to a foreigner online. The three children are now safe in an after-care facility.
Investigation on the suspected trafficker’s online activities began in November last year. The suspect (name is withheld to keep the victims’ identities confidential) is now under police custody.
In coordination with the Anti-Cybercrime Group Region 7, police also implemented a search warrant issued by Branch 11 of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court, the Cybercrime Court for Region 7, presided by Judge Ramon Daomilas.
The search covered a house in the neighboring town of Ronda owned by the suspected trafficker’s aunt. During the search, police recovered money transfer receipts showing the suspect’s previous transactions with foreigners.
The operations were supported by the Anti-Cybercrime Group 7, Cebu Provincial Police Office’s Special Weapons and Tactics, Ronda Municipal Police Station’s Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), Alcantara Municipal Police Station’s WCPD, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 and the International Justice Mission.
“Today’s successful Online Sexual Exploitation of Children rescue and arrest operation in the towns of Alcantara and Ronda is a reminder that the WCPC Visayas Field Unit is carrying out operations against online traffickers all across the Visayas,” said lawyer John Tanagho, IJM Cebu Field Office director.
“No trafficker who sexually abuses children and sells the images, videos or live-stream of that abuse online can hide; it’s only a matter of time before they will be caught to face justice through prosecution in court,” he added.
Now under the protective custody of the DSWD, the victims will receive psychosocial interventions, including therapy and rehabilitation.
Rescued victims would only be returned to the community after a comprehensive family home and risk assessment is conducted to confirm that the home is a safe place for the children and that they will no longer be sexually abused or exploited by parents, relatives or neighbors.
Since 2011, IJM has supported Philippine law enforcement agencies in the arrest of 184 perpetrators of online sexual exploitation of children, 54 of whom have been convicted, and the rescue of 429 victims and children at-risk across the country. (PR)