The City Prosecutor’s Office in Cebu City has indicted a women on complaints for helping recruit girls for prostitution and sexual exploitation. An American is also facing charges related to underage girls.
The charge was filed after finding probably cause for violation of the anti-trafficking law of the Philippines. Cheryl Toreon has submitted a counter-affidavit and other evidence despite being summoned for the offense.
“A subpoena was personally served to respondent in their known address but the same was returned with the process servers notation that the subject could not be located at the said place and even with the assistance of their personnel of the barangay hall of the area, the respondent cannot still be located. Hence, this case is resolved ex-parte on the basis of the evidence presented,” the resolution reads.
Peñaflor recommended no bail for Tereon’s temporary liberty – the case also involves a known foreigner who is a fiance of one of the girl’s cousins.
In the report, the minor knew the foreigners because he was the fiancé of her cousin and stayed in their rented house – the 17-year-old corroborated the statements in the formal complaint.
In their filing, on January 27, 2011., a man reported at the barangay hall that there were children wrestling while naked while being videotaped by a foreigner at Sitio Looc, Malbago.
The BIN members confiscated the video and turned it over to the police station. The video allegedly contained scenes of girls wrestling and pretending to fight while their breasts were exposed – one girl was only 14.
Joseph Christian Bogo, an American, is currently facing charges before the court along with Toreon for his involvement in the video and possible other offences involving other girls that Toreon recruited.