Charges readied vs. ‘vlogger’ accused of sexual exploitation

A 30-year-old Cebu-based vlogger will be facing charges for violating anti-trafficking laws and possibly, sexually exploiting minors, after he was arrested in an entrapment operation in Barangay Lahug on Dec. 11 by the city police’s Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD). | Photo from CCPO-WCPD

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Formal complaints are now being readied against a 30-year-old self-proclaimed vlogger after he was accused of sexually exploiting a minor.

Police from Cebu City’s Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) arrested on December 11, 2020 a Cebu-based vlogger in an entrapment operation in Barangay Lahug.

This stemmed from a complaint filed by the suspect’s 17-year-old victim who accused him of recording their intimate moments without his permission and then uploading them on porn sites.

“He will be formally charged this Monday (December 14) for violating our anti-trafficking laws and possibly, sexually exploiting minors considering that he used the videos to earn money,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Daan, chief of Cebu City Police Office’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch (CCPO-IDMB), in Cebuano.

Both the identities of the suspect and victim were not disclosed to protect the latter.

Daan said the suspect, who happened to be a worker for a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm based in Cebu City, is currently under the custody of CCPO’s WCPD.

Exploitation

Quoting initial investigations from the city police’s WCPD, Daan said the victim found out that lewd videos showing him and the suspect were uploaded and shared on pornographic websites.

“He told us he was not aware he was being recorded nor that these were circulating online until some of his friends alerted him about this, and informed him that the suspect was reportedly earning money from these videos,” said Daan.

“The victim immediately filed a report to the police which led us to conduct the entrapment operation in Barangay Lahug where the suspect was staying,” he added.

Confiscated from the suspect were a smartphone, a company ID, passport, and several Peso bills amounting to a total of P2,200.

Additional findings from the police showed that the suspect attempted to recruit the victim, who is from Lapu-Lapu City, to perform sexual acts online.

“We’re still conducting further investigation to determine if the suspect has also victimized others,” added Daan.

In the meantime, Daan urged trafficking victims and parents or relatives of minors being sexually exploited to seek the help of police to arrest the perpetrators. /dbs