A Cebu mother who abused children online — including her own six-year-old daughter — has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 11 sentenced the 45-year-old woman — who cannot be named to protect the identity of her victims — yesterday (Tuesday, July 30). Branch 11 is the region’s designated cybercrime court.
Judge Ramon Daomilas Jr ordered the woman to pay fines and damages amounting to 1.5 million pesos for trafficking at least five children aged six to 17.
Her own six-year-old daughter was among the children rescued by authorities in an operation that led to the woman’s arrest in Mandaue City on April 15.
In a press release, the International Justice Mission said that the children have been treated for trauma with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Speaking after sentencing, Police Colonel Romeo Perigo, chief of the Women and Children Protection Center -Visayas Field Unit, said: “Today’s conviction brings with it a harsh punishment of 15 long years of imprisonment for the offence she committed to her victims.
“We hope that these long years of serving her sentence will serve as a warning to all suspects engaging in online sexual exploitation of children.”
The woman is only the latest mother from Cebu to be sentenced for online sex trafficking of children. In May, for example, we reported how a young mother from Cordova was sentenced to 21 years for the crime.
Arrests have also been increasing, including of 32-year-old Filipino Nelson Torayno. The 32-year-old was described as the EU’s most wanted online sex offender.
Cebu City Police Director Gemma Cruz Vinluan has vowed to keep up the focus on the campaign against child abuse and sex trafficking.
“We will have regular visitations to schools and set up PICAAC desks [women and children’s protection centre],” she said.
“We will campaign to educate the public on different forms of child abuse. Rapists aren’t always random; they can be family members.”
Before becoming Cebu City’s police chief, Vinluan served as the chief of the Women and Children Protection Desk at the Camp Crame national police headquarters.
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