Philippines Police Rescue 6 Children from OSEC and Arrest British suspect
Online Sexual Exploitation of Children
More children brought to safety in sting operation: Philippines Police Aleng Pulis rescues 6 more children from online sexual abuse and exploitation, and Officers of the Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Unit arrest one UK national.
Just two days after the Philippines National Police's Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) rescued four minors in Taguig and arrested one suspect in an online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) case, the WCPC’s Transnational Crime Investigation Task Force (TCITF) and Mindanao Field Unit (MFU) rescued another six (6) minors and arrested one (1) suspect in Ozamiz City while its Visayas Field Unit (VFU) arrested one foreign national accused of perpetrating the same crime against two (2) children in Cebu city.
The suspect, 62-year-old national of the United Kingdom, was arrested in November 2019 but was subsequently released when the case against him was provisionally dismissed. As more evidence was gathered by WCPC-VFU, in coordination with local NGO—Children’s Legal Bureau, the case was reopened and a Warrant for his arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7. Members of the WCPC-VFU, together with the Women and Children Protection Desk of Cebu City Police Office, executed the Arrest Warrant. The foreign national is accused of sexually abusing and exploiting two (2) male children, aged 5 and 15 then, online; and is facing charges of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons law.
The UK National Crime Agency, which helped in the operation in Cebu, recognized the success of the operation undertaken by the Visayas Field Unit of the PNP Women and Children’s Protection Center. The NCA states:
“This operation has rescued 2 victims and safeguarded them from further harm. Dealing with child abuse is a priority area for the NCA and the potential for UK offenders to exploit vulnerable children in the Philippines and elsewhere is a threat that we are determined to tackle.”
The United States Homeland Security Investigations (US HSI), which helped in the Ozamiz Operations, through Attaché Ricardo Navalta, highlighted the value of transnational partnership in investigations of OSAEC cases especially in the time of COVID-19, saying “through these strong partnerships, the HSI continues to be able to rescue those who are victimized and bring those responsible to justice both in the Philippines and the United States.”
The rescued children are now under the care of local social welfare offices.
Atty. Lucille Dejito, Cebu Field Office Director of the International Justice Mission (IJM) explained that OSAEC is a global crime that requires global law enforcement cooperation.