Man nabbed for using children in pornography

A 51-year-old American national was arrested in his apartment near Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City yesterday morning for possessing sexually explicit videos and photos of Filipina minors.

Around 2 p.m. on Oct. 17, operatives from the Philippine National Police’s Women and Children Protection Center–Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-VFU) implemented a search warrant issued on Charles Gergley’s apartment in Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City.

The search yielded one smartphone containing an SD card, one iPad Pro, one other tablet device, money transfer receipts, and condoms.

Also found were hundreds of sachets of candy that Gergley reportedly would pass out to young Filipino children. Gergley was arrested on October 18 around 2 a.m. in his apartment after implementation of the search warrant reportedly uncovered hundreds of pornographic images and videos, many involving Gergley engaging in sex acts with female subjects.

Several of the images and videos depicted Filipina minors, and yesterday afternoon the WCPCVFU conducted a follow-up operation, rescuing a 16-year-old girl in the neighboring city of Talisay.

Intelligence gathered by WCPC-VFU from a rescue operation in July 2018, in which minors were rescued from online sexual exploitation, led to the investigation of Gergley who reportedly has lived in Cebu for five years.

International Justice Mission (IJM) Cebu Field Office director John Tanagho commended the police for the successful anti-OSEC (online exploitation of children) operation.

WCPC Visayas chief Romeo Perigo said that “the place where we conducted the search warrant was quiet and peaceful. The neighborhood never would have known that sexual abuse was happening. Our investigation started with a referral from a foreign law enforcement agency. So, we are requesting our countrymen to be aware and report any unusual activity in their place to the police so that we can prevent the abuse of our women and children.”

The Anti-Cybercrime Group Region 7, Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) 7, Department of Social Welfare and Development 7, and the IJM also supported today’s operations.