A 25-year-old online trafficker from Cordova, Cebu was sentenced to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of attempted trafficking, child pornography, child abuse and voyeurism. | Photo and text courtesy of IJM-Cebu
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 25-year-old mother from Cordova town in Cebu was meted a prison term of 26 years after she admitted sexually exploiting her two daughters, and another female minor, on the internet.
Alicia (not her real name) pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted trafficking, child pornography, child abuse, and voyeurism lodged against her, said a statement from the International Justice Mission (IJM).
It also said that Presiding Judge Ramon Daomilas Jr. of the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City Branch 11 ordered the suspect to pay P1.5 million in fines and damages.
Enforcers from the Women and Child Protection Center-Visayas Field Unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) rescued Alicia’s two daughters – then aged five and two – and another five-year-old girl in an entrapment operation conducted on July 30, 2016 in Cordova town, Cebu.
Authorities recovered from Alicia’s residence transfer receipts believed to have come from the suspect’s transactions with online sex predators.
Lawyer John Tanagho, IJM-Cebu Field Office director, lauded the outcome of the trial.
“Today’s conviction reflects excellent investigations by WCPC and prosecutions by DOJ. The evidence in OSEC (online sexual exploitation of children) cases is so strong that the accused are often pleading guilty, even to long sentences of 15 years or longer,” Tanagho said in the IJM statement.
“This leads to excellent results of timely justice for the survivors and protects child victims from having to testify in court to their abuse. People selling the live-streaming of child sexual abuse think it’s an easy way to make money, but really it’s just a sure way to get arrested and go to jail,” he added.
Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho hailed the conviction of the suspect.
“We feel that this victory is not about penalizing or punishing the perpetrators, who usually are close relatives of the victims, even the parents themselves. But this is more about finding justice and rebuilding the lives and future of our children,” Sitoy-Cho said in the same statement.