Alleged american operator out on bail: Cybersex women earn P20T/month

The American arrested last Thursday in Lapulapu City on suspicion of running a cybersex den is now out on bail protesting his innocence but the eight women arrested with him yesterday gave police damning testimony that he was the alleged brains behind the operation that had them pose naked before a webcam for his foreign-based clients and that they get to share at least P20,000 a month for their efforts.

The women were found naked with Marc Anthony Woolbright in his apartment in Lapulapu City by police belonging to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who were acting on a tip that underaged children were being sexually exploited there. No children were found during the raid.

Police did not have a court-issued warrant to search the apartment but the lawyer of Woolbright, Reynaldo Cortes, said they will no longer question the legality of the raid and instead rush the posting of bail to allow the American his temporary freedom.

Woolbright, who just arrived from the United States the day before his arrest, is a son of Eddie Woolbright, a long-time Cebu City resident and owner of the popular hangout Eddie's Log Cabin. He has protested his innocence, claiming the women were in his apartment not to engage in cybersex but because they were his friends.

But the women had a different story to tell the police.

They told CIDG deputy director Rex Derilo that they agreed to engage in cybersex in exchange for fat fees paid by foreign clients through credit cards.

Derilo said under the setup, a client would first make an online payment through his credit card before the women started to strip before the cybercam. The money allegedly goes into the account of Woolbright who later pays the women their share.

Derilo said a certain Cherry Bacus, who is allegedly living in with Woolbright, has been identified by the women as the one who hired them and supervised them when Woolbright is out of the country.

The women have now executed sworn statements to support the charges police are filing against Woolbright and Bacus for alleged violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

Separate charges for illegal possession of a gun and drug paraphernalia were also being filed after a gun and drug use implements were found during the raid.

Woolbright was released from jail yesterday after posting a P200,000 bail.

The raid was conducted when the Department of Social Welfare and Development should police assistance on reports that underaged children were in the apartment allegedly for internet pornography purposes. While no children were found in the apartment, unnamed sources insist a number of children were often seen going inside the building after classes.