A mother who offered to livestream the sexual abuse of her nine-year-old daughter for foreign perverts has been arrested in Iligan City.
The 30-year-old was caught in the act of ‘trafficking’ her daughter during an entrapment operation led by the police’s Women and Children’s Protection Center at midday yesterday (Wednesday, December 5).
Aside from her nine-year-old daughter, officers also rescued her three sons, aged two, three and 10. Another seven-year-old girl, who was seen in a photo shared online by the suspect during surveillance, was also rescued. All five children are now in protective custody.
The suspect had been under surveillance since her alleged activities were first reported in October. Police said they gathered evidence that she had been abusing children for ‘customers’ who paid to direct and watch the ‘shows’.
Battle against online abuse
John Tanagho, Field Office Director of the International Justice Mission (IJM), an organisation that campaigns against the exploitation of children, said: “Thanks to the diligent work of the WCPC Mindanao Field Unit, five child victims of online sexual exploitation as young as two and three years old are now free from sexual abuse and exploitation.
“And just as important, the police were able to catch and arrest the suspected trafficker in the act of offering to sexually abuse the children live-stream online for easy money from foreign customers. With every rescue and arrest operation, vulnerable children of the Philippines are protected more and more from this violent and degrading abuse as traffickers are held accountable. Every operation sends the message to the community that the lives and dignity of children are worth more than money.”
The mother will be charged with violations under Republic Act (RA) 9208, as amended or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, RA 9775 or the AntiChild Pornography Act in relation to RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act, RA 7610 or the Child Abuse Law, and other related charges.
As of the end of November this year, the IJM has supported Philippine law enforcement agencies in the arrest of 179 suspected online abuse suspects – 45 of whom have already been convicted. The arrests also led to the rescue of 415 children.
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