EV among ‘hot spots’ online sexual activity
ORMOC CITY– A mother was arrested by police after she was discovered engaging in illegal sexual online activity using her two minor children, aged 16 and 14 years old, respectively.
Arrested in an operation conducted by the regional intelligence unit (RIU) of the Philippine National Police (PNP-8) was alias ‘Maylene’, 39, said to have been engaging in the illegal activity for over two years now.
She was arrested in her house in Barangay San Pedro, Sogod in Southern Leyte, at about 5:04 pm on Wednesday (July 12).
Police Major Alfred Dauz, chief police of Sogod, said that when he assumed his post on September 8, 2022, he had received rumors about the alleged illegal operation of Maylene.
Since then he asked his intelligence officer to conduct surveillance of the operation of the suspect to verify the information.
He added that once the local police zeroed in on the activity of the suspect, he asked the RIU to conduct the arrest because they have personnel who are experts in handling these kinds of cases.
And on Wednesday, RIU operatives implemented the warrant to search, seize and examine computer data (WSSECD) No. 01-2023 issued by Judge Ma. Daisy Paler Gonzalez, executive judge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 25, Maasin City for violation of RA No. 11930, An Act Punishing Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children, Penalizing the Production, Distribution, Possession and Access of Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials, amending RA no. 9160, otherwise known as the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2002, as amended and repealing RA no. 9775, otherwise known as the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 and Rescue operation of minors.
The implementation resulted in the apprehension of the suspect and the rescue of two minors, a 16-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother.
Major Dauz said that he was saddened by this incident because the rescued minors are children of the suspect whom she used to earn money even if it is illegal.
Formal charges to the court of origin in Maasin City were filed against the suspect.
Seized from her which she used in her illegal sexual online activity were several cellular phones.
The arrest of the suspect was witnessed by village officials.
The suspect was brought to Sogod Municipal Police Station for proper disposition while the rescued minor victims were turned over to the provincial office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Maasin City.
The Philippines, which includes some parts of Eastern Visayas, has been identified to be among the world’s ‘hot spots’ when it came to online sexual exploitation of children, the International Justine Mission(IJM) said.
Since 2016 when it first started monitoring the online sexual exploitation in the country, more than 1,000 children have been rescued from the said illegal activity.
IJM is an international organization that aims to protect people in poverty from violence and it has partners with local authorities to fight slavery, violence against women and children, among others.
ROBERT DEJON
