Trafficking, child abuse cases filed against 17-yo girl
A 17-year-old girl is facing trial for allegedly exposing young girls to prostitution and selling nude photos of them to foreigners online.
She had several foreigner friends in her Facebook account and even passed around naked photos of her sister.
The teenager was charged before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City for violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. All three charges are non-bailable if evidence of guilt is strong.
Social workers certified that she acted with discernment when she committed the offenses.
When presented before Cebu City Asst. Prosecutor Noel Cellona last week, the girl waived her right to a preliminary investigation.
The case was directly filed in court.
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The girl was arrested by operatives of the Anti Cybercime Group in an entrapment operation inside a Cebu City hotel last Aug. 17.
Two other females aged 16 and 20 were rescued and turned over to the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In her affidavit, the 16-year-old victim said she met the accused in a disco last year and was invited last Aug. 17 to go with her to a hotel to meet a foreigner who was willing to give them money.
“I was hesitant to go, but she convinced me that the foreigner would give chocolates and pasalubong. So I went with them,” said the 16-year-old friend.
A 20-year-old woman accompanied them to the hotel in Cebu City.
When they were inside the room, the accused allegedly asked for P4,500, but the foreigner only gave them P3,000.
After the girls divided the money, she told the foreigner to do what he wanted with them.
Her 16-year-old friend said she was scared and wanted to escape. Then the the police arrived and rescued her and the 20-year-old woman at the hotel.
Police said a male pedophile was arrested in Europe last year and that law enforcers abroad discovered lewd photos of minors in his possession, which led them to the teenager in Cebu City as the sender.
The 17-year-old is being held at the Operation Second Chance in Cebu City, a center for minors in conflict with the law.
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