20-year-old man jailed for using sex videos to ‘blackmail’ ex-girlfriend

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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Charges will soon be filed against a 20-year-old man who allegedly used their sex videos to blackmail his ex-girlfriend.

The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit in Central Visayas (RACU-7) arrested the suspect on December 3, 2020, for uploading sex videos and lewd photos of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend in an attempt to win her back.

RACU-7 chief, Police Lieutenant Colonel Artemio Ricabo, told reporters in an interview on Friday, December 4, that the suspect published intimate videos and photos of his former girlfriend when she refused to reconcile with him.

However, RACU-7 begged off from disclosing the full identities of the suspect and his victim.

“They were ex-lovers but the male was desperate to win his ex-girlfriend back. The woman, on the other hand, has no plans at all of getting back in their relationship. So, he threatened to upload their videos if she will not see him in a meeting place that he has identified,” Ricabo said in Cebuano.

But the girl has sougth the assistance of law enforcers.

The suspect was arrested in an entrapment operation in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City last December 3, said Ricabo, and is currently under their custody.  He will be facing cases for grave coercion and for violating the anti-cybercrime and the anti-violence against women and their children laws, the police official added.

“The victim and her family sought help with the police when he attempted to do another round of blackmailing and share more of her intimate videos. As a result, we conducted an entrapment operation last December 3 in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City. The victim agreed to meet with him near a bakeshop as part of our operation,” Ricabo said.

Ricabo said the victim had told RACU-7 investigators that she suffered physical abuse from her ex-boyfriend, prompting her to end their relationship.

“He started blackmailing her last September by sharing some of the lewd videos and photos of his ex-girlfriend to his friends via Facebook Messenger,” he added.

To prevent a similar incident from happening, Ricabo is asking parents to always monitor the activities of their children.  At the same time, he is asking couples to always be responsible for what they do in private.

“We advise against filming your intimate moments because this might put you in trouble or may be used against you,” Ricabo added. / dcb