Raps vs mother for trafficking 2-year-old child

By: Rosalie Abatayo @cebudailynews, Sep 17, 2017

EVEN while the suspect remains at large, police authorities are set to file today a criminal case for human trafficking against a 25-year-old woman, who sold nude videos of her two-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old neighbor to sexual predators online.

Women and Children Protection Center in Central Visayas (WCPC-7) director Supt. Romeo Perigo said that police are only waiting for the sworn affidavit of the 21-year-old who was rescued with the suspect’s daughter on Thursday.

During the raid and subsequent rescue, the suspect transacted with an undercover agent who arranged the purchase of a video of her daughter taking a bath naked with the girl being instructed to do lewd acts in front of the camera.

But when authorities swooped down on her residence, the mother was nowhere to be found.

The mother, whose name is withheld to protect her daughter, will be facing charges for violation of the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, Anti-child abuse act, and Anti-child pornography act.

Perigo said that even if they did not catch the mother molesting the child, the exchange of messages online between a WCPC agent and the mother was enough evidence to file the case.

The charges to be filed against the suspect are non-bailable.

Perigo, however, admitted that WCPC still has no lead as to where the suspect is.

The suspect eluded arrest on Thursday when police operatives raided the house in Barangay Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City, to rescue the two-year-old child and their neighbor.

Based on investigation, it was found that the child’s mother has been engaged in cyberpornography for about a year, transacting cash payments of between P6,000 to P15,000 from her foreigner patrons for lewd videos and photos.

The child and the 21-year-old woman are currently under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

As this developed, Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo urged parishes and church workers to develop programs that would help eradicate cyberpornography and other forms of sexual exploitation in their areas.

Villarojo expressed alarm over the case as the mother is believed to be the culprit in trafficking her own child.