Panay News

Abuse should be reported, 2

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MELBA is a 14- year- old girl that was trafficked by two sisters who were trafficker­s and preyed on young girls and lured and entrapped them into a life of sexual commercial exploitati­on. They searched on Facebook for sex tourists residing in the Philippine­s, offered them young teenagers for sex and arrange for them to meet and they earned big money for themselves. Their victims got a pittance.

Melba was one of them. Like many other trafficked teenage girls, she was vulnerable from a broken home, had little education and was dependent on the trafficker­s for survival. She was offered online to a wealthy American National. They met and the trafficker­s took the money and gave him 14- year- old Melba to sexually abuse. They gave him other victims to abuse in sex hotels in Olongapo City and in Subic town that are under the eyes of the authoritie­s. He returned to Angeles City where he had his residence in Clarkview. Meanwhile, Melba and his victims were rescued from other sex tourists and the trafficker­s arrested. The children were referred to the Preda Home to be safe and recover. They were empowered and testified against the three human trafficker­s that were detained.

Melba told her Preda counsellor and social worker about her foreign abuser who had abused many other children also. Preda assisted them to file charges against him and it was elevated to the court by the Olongapo City Prosecutor. Judge Gemma Theresa B. Hilario-Logronio of the Olongapo City Family Court Branch 12 then issued an arrest warrant against the suspect, 61year old US citizen Nicholas Gabriel Pyant. Preda immediatel­y began a search for his whereabout­s and finally got his address in Angeles City and passed it to the authoritie­s.

On July 27, 2021, Nichola Gabriel Pyant was arrested in Angeles City by police officers under the command of Police Colonel Rommel S. Batangan for the abuse of Melba and three other minors for multiple acts of abuse and traffickin­g of minors.

Several child victims of Pyant are in the care and custody of the Preda Foundation, happily recovered and preparing for a new

There is satisfacti­on that justice was done and will be done for the many victims who can live a happier life, free from exploitati­on and abuse. We must do all we can help make it so report abuse in strict confidence to Preda Foundation 0917532445­3 or predainfo@gmail.com.

life and ready and willing to testify against their alleged suspected serial abuser and bring him to justice. They previously testified in a case against their three female trafficker­s who sold them like animals to sex tourists and allegedly to Pyant.

There is satisfacti­on that justice was done and will be done for the many victims who can live a happier life, free from exploitati­on and abuse. We must do all we can help make it so report abuse in strict confidence to Preda Foundation 0917532445­3 or predainfo@gmail.com. ( www.preda.org) /PN

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