THE chief of Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) has ordered a manhunt for parents and relatives allegedly involved in online child exploitation in Dumanjug town, Cebu.
This decision from Col. Christopher Bermudez came after the town police arrested a couple accused of selling nude photos and videos of their child online.
Dumanjug Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica said the couple is now in police custody, while authorities are pursuing other suspects.
Police have taken statements from the child victim and relatives, and charges are being prepared for violations of Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, and RA 11930, or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Act.
The victim is now under the custody of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office for intervention.
Bermudez said police have not yet seized the suspects’ mobile phones, which may contain deleted videos. He added that they will coordinate with the Regional Cybercrime Unit 7 to apply for a search warrant and conduct forensic examinations of the devices.
This is the second cyberpornography case reported in Dumanjug this year. Earlier, police arrested a live-in couple for the same offense and seized illegal drugs during the operation.
Bermudez said the police are working with other government agencies to identify and arrest all parents involved in the cyberpornography ring in the town.
Meanwhile, Gica is under investigation for allegedly striking the father of a cyberpornography victim. The Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas has launched the probe after a video of the incident went viral. / AYB