Mom nabbed for exploiting kids

A mother who allegedly forced and exploited her five minor children aged two to 17-years-old to engage in online sex was arrested in Bataan and charged criminally before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, May 24.

The Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) did not identify the mother.

It said the arrested mother was charged for violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 11930, the Anti-online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM); RA No. 11862, the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended; and RA No. 7610, the Antichild Abuse Law.

The mother was nabbed during the operation conducted on Tuesday, May 23, in Dinalupihan, Bataan by the National Bureau of Investigation anti-human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD), the IACAT Operations Center (IACAT Opcen), and the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO).

The IACAT said “the five children were rescued and are now with MSWDO for shelter and counseling.”

It said that during the operation “several smartphones owned by the mother were seized and upon examination of the electronic devices, numerous child sexual abuse and exploitation materials were found.”

It also said the operation “stemmed from the referral of the Australian Federal Police in 2022 when an Australian national from Thailand arrived at Sydney International Airport and was arrested and charged with child exploitation offenses.”

The arrested Australian was found in possession of three electronic devices containing child abuse materials, IACAT said.

“The victims were identified as Filipino children, so the matter was referred to the NBI through the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC),” it said.

It added that the operation in Bataan was done after “the NBI-AHTRAD secured a Warrant to Search, Seizure, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) before the Regional Trial Court of Makati City.”