Man gets life for online trafficking in persons

A 32-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement to online trafficking.

Eul Vincent Ondoy Rodriguez was found guilty on Aug. 13 by Judge Ester Veloso of Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 6 of Qualified Trafficking in Persons.

Judge Veloso also ordered Rodriguez to pay a fine of P2.6 million for his involvement in online trafficking.

Rodriguez was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by operatives of Regional Intelligence Division (RID) and Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RAHTTF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a hotel in Cebu City in February 2014.

The victim, who was a 13-year-old boy, was rescued and testified that he was forced to do sexually explicit acts with Rodriguez and was strip naked in front of the camera for about 20 separate occasions.

The nude acts was reportedly streamed live online and sold to foreigners.

Based on the International Justice Mission (IJM) data, Rodriguez is the 39th child trafficker convicted for online sexual exploitation.

“Today’s conviction of another online trafficker — the 39th such conviction — is a reminder that the Philippine justice system is defending the rights of innocent children from the violence of online sexual exploitation,” Lawyer John Tanagho, director of IJM Cebu Field Office, said in the press statement.

“Online traffickers who rob children of dignity and freedom will only, in the end, will forefeit their own freedom as the courts deliver justice for victims of OSEC throughout this nation,” Tanagho added.