Trafficker from Lapu-Lapu gets 17 years in prison

STOCK PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A trial court in Lapu-Lapu City sentenced a 25-year-old female trafficker with at least 17 years of imprisonment for charges in relation to online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).

The International Justice Mission (IJM), in a press release issued on July 30, said Judge Christine Muga-Abad of the Regional Trial Court Branch 70 in Lapu-Lapu City handed down the decision on July 29 through a video conference.

The court also ordered the suspect, whose real identity was withheld for security purposes, to pay P600,000 in fine, P500,000 in moral damages, and P100,000 in exemplary damages.

IJM said the trafficker, who entered into a plea agreement before the presiding judge, was arrested last April 6 when law enforcers served a warrant of arrest against her for sexually abusing her underage female cousin and livestreaming the abuse for a paying online child sex offender.

“(She) abused her female cousin from 2016 to 2018, from the age of 11 to 13. The minor was rescued on July 31, 2019, following a case referral from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC),” said IJM.

The group said local police here received leads from the FBI when the latter was investigating a U.S.-based child sex offender identified as Alan Dennis Wolff who would pay the suspect to livestream her underage cousin.

“Wolff pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children before a court in Minneapolis, Minnesota in December 2019,” IJM said.

The trafficker’s three children are currently under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD – 7) after authorities considered them to be at risk of online sexual exploitation.

Lawyer Lucille Dejito, IJM Cebu Field Office director, welcomed the decision of the court.

“(The) arrest of Jade and rescue of her children-at-risk in the midst of the lockdown is a testament to its relentless commitment to hold traffickers accountable and create a safe place for children, overcoming the limitations brought by the pandemic,” Deijto was quoted on saying.

IJM said their group’s efforts led to the conviction of at least 90 individuals for OSEC since 2011. / dbs

One may report a suspected case of OSEC by texting ENDOSEC (space) (incident details) to 7444-64 for Smart, Sun and TNT subscribers; or directly connect with WCPC at (032) 410-8483 for Visayas, and 0917-180-6037 or 0928-604-6425 for Mindanao.