Blackmail, sex with minor lead to cook’s arrest

Assistant chef arrested with friend for blackmailing 13-year-old girl into having sex with him, taking a video of the deed and allegedly uploading it on social media

An assistant chef of a restaurant in Barangay Maribago, LapuLapu City and his companion were arrested in an entrapment operation on Tuesday, Dec. 4, after he was accused of uploading a video on social media of himself having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

McClark Alvaro Aying, 21, a resident of Sitio Masiwa, Barangay Marigondon, was accused by Maria (real name withheld for being a minor) of using their sex video to blackmail her into repeatedly having sex with him, as well as into having sex with some of his friends.

Aside from Aying, police also arrested his co-worker, Jomel Ceniza Pagalan, 23.

Aying denied the allegations against him.

Anita Jumamil, a Gender and Development officer assigned in Barangay Basak, said Maria’s parents approached her Tuesday night, Dec. 4, to report that a sex video of their daughter had been circulated on Facebook.

When Jumamil saw the sex video, she immediately called the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) and the Mactan Police Station for assistance in catching the culprit.

During her interview with Maria, the 13-year-old admitted to Jumamil that she had sex with Aying last month inside the restaurant where he was working.

Aying reportedly started taking videos of their sexual act. Since then, Aying would contact Maria and threaten to circulate the video if she refused to have sex with him.

When police received word that Aying wanted to meet with Maria again, they immediately set up an entrapment operation.

Aying said that Maria had “consensual” sex and that he didn’t know that it was a crime to have sex with a minor.

“Wa sad ko kabawo kay siya man gud mismo ang ni kuan ba, nihatag ug kuan ba--magbuhat mi ana. Ikaw kuno, sir, hukaran ka, di pa na nimo kan-on (I didn’t know because she was the one who, who gave (hints)—that we do it. If it were you, sir, if it had been laid out for you, aren’t you going to eat it)?” Aying told SunStar Cebu.