Woman ‘sells’ nude photos of sisters
Four minors were rescued while a 20-year-old mother was arrested in an anti-cybercrime operation in Talisay City yesterday morning.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group arrested the 20-yearold for allegedly selling nude photos of her two younger sisters to a foreigner through social media.
Authorities rescued the suspect's younger sisters, both 17. They also rescued the fiveyear-old and eight-month-old daughters of the suspect and are now checking whether the two were also implicated in the alleged online abuse.
The FREEMAN is withholding the names of those involved due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Chief Inspector Leo Dofiles, chief of the region's anti-cybercrime group, told The FREEMAN that when they received information from the suspect's neighbors regarding the sexual exploitation, they started conducting surveillance operation.
The surveillance ran starting September and once the police collected enough evidence against the suspect, they then carried out the operation.
Dofiles said the suspect demanded money in every engagement against the foreigner to be used to buy cellphone, cellphone load, or even groceries.
According to the suspect's mother, she was aware that her 20-year-old daughter was communicating with a foreigner.
“Tinuod na, pero wala ko kahibaw nga mao na (illegal). Willing man ang foreigner nga motabang. Padad-an og kwarta pero dili ingon dagko, makapalit ra mi'g bugas,” the mother said.
She also said the family did not send any nude pictures to the foreigner, though she said her daughter started communicating with him just a month ago.
The foreigner sent money to them three times.
“Ang ako nahibaw-an, magpa-picture na'g sexy nga shorts pangbalay, nagbra, nagblouse. Picture ra nagbarog dinha dili ingon nga ngil-ad. Katulo naman nakapadala: una kay P1,000, sunod P1,500; sunod kay P1,000,” she added.
Nevertheless, the police will still file complaint against the suspect for criminal violations under RA 9208 the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, RA 9775 the Anti-Child Pornography Act in relation to RA 10175 the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The rescued victims are now in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region-7.
According to the International Justice Mission, it was the 14th Online Sexual Exploitation on Children (OSEC) operation conducted in the Visayas this year, with other operations held in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Cordova, Calape in Bohol, and Bacolod.
“With OSEC becoming an alarming problem nationwide, trained and specialized law enforcement units are actively combating this crime, including WCPC, NBI-AHTRAD, and ACG. That means more and more vulnerable children in the Visayas will be rescued and protected from this violent exploitation and more perpetrators prevented from abusing other children,” said IJM Cebu Field Office Director lawyer John Tanagho. —