Enforcers from the WCPC-Visayas Field Unit rescued at least seven minors, including an infant, from an alleged cyber sex den in Cebu City on Wednesday, July 13. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Authorities here rescued at least seven minors, including an infant, from an alleged cybersex den on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
Police Maj. Niño Lawrence Ibo, officer-in-charge of the Women and Children Protection Center – Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-Visayas), confirmed that enforcers raided what seemed to be a cybersex den in Barangay Luz, past 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ibo said they arrested a woman who will be facing charges for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act or Republic Act No. 10175.
Law enforcers also rescued six children and a four-month-old infant. They are currently under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7), Ibo said.
The identities of the suspect and the rescued minors were withheld for their own safety.
Wednesday’s raid stemmed from an anti-online sexual exploitation operation conducted last 2020, in which the arrested individuals told investigators about the female suspect’s illegal activities, too.
Ibo said they were about to entrap her back then. However, lockdowns and mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic apparently prompted the suspect to halt any online sexual exploitation activities.
“Nagtuo mi sa pagpandemic nga niundang kay wa na ni reply… After, nagbalik na, okay na (ni relax na ang lockdown), among gimonitor balik. Nagengage mi through sa bag-ong account,” explained Ibo.
On June 22, 2022, undercover enforcers from the WCPC-Visayas Field Unit confirmed that the suspect was active again. They dangled a $20 offer, roughly P1,100 in today’s rates, as bait to locate her whereabouts.
Based on initial reports from investigators, the suspect would offer to send nude photos of herself to foreign clients and in some instances, photos or videos of minors.
Ibo said the suspect even offered lewd photos of four of the seven children rescued during Wednesday’s raid.
“Amo pang i-verify if ang uban naapil sad, apil ang infant. Pero amo silang gipangrescue kay they are considered ‘children at risk’,” Ibo pointed out.
Police are also expected to conduct further investigations to determine the nationalities of the foreign pedophiles who transacted with the suspect.
“Para pud makahatag sad ta ug information or referral sa foreign law enforcement para sila pud makaconduct sa ilahang investigation,” added Ibo.
Alarming
In the meantime, the WCPC-Visayas Field Unit said they are monitoring other possible online sexual exploitation activities in Cebu.
While they have yet to come up with data to determine if there’s an increase in the number of online sexual exploitation activities here since the pandemic began, Ibo said they are alarmed that the recent anti-trafficking operations they conducted involved minors.
“Alarming gyud kay ang mga victims ani kasagaran minor,” said Ibo.
In the meantime, police urged the public, particularly parents, to be wary of their children’s online activities.
They also encouraged individuals with information or leads to possible human traffickers to report to the authorities.
/bmjo
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