A start of a more heightened crusade vs human trafficking

An American national has been convicted of child abuse for having sex with a minor in Cebu City six years ago. Wayne Littlefield was sentenced to 16 years in prison for violating the law on the protection of children and on human trafficking.

Regional Trial Court Judge Jose Nathaniel Andal, in his decision, also ordered Littlefield to undergo a six-month community service in Barangay Kalubihan. The judge gave weight to the testimony of the victim who, he said, was telling the truth in her affidavit.

However, Littlefield will not be around to serve his sentence because his whereabouts are unknown. He was only convicted in absentia since he jumped bail while his case was being heard.

Still, his conviction was latest triumph in the campaign against trafficking and child sex in Cebu with the International Justice Mission, which helped the prosecution during the trial, lauding the public prosecutor and the judge.

While we hail this victory, there is still a lot to do for the crusade to be successful. Authorities are still facing a huge task in the drive against human traffickers and those involved in child pornography.

It cannot be denied that the Philippines is a haven for foreign pedophiles owing to the lack of laws that would aggressively go against them. In fact, it has become a global hotspot in child sex industry for decades.

What's more unfortunate is that many of those arrested would sometimes escape prosecution since they are able to bribe the authorities. We already heard or read about many pedophiles cleared from charges because of the weak evidence presented against them in court.

The public is really hoping that Littlefield's conviction will bring positive effects to the antihuman trafficking campaign and signal the start of a more heightened crusade against foreign and domestic pedophiles.