American charged for "abusing" girl

CEBU, Philippines – A 37-year-old American businessman was charged with qualified seduction before the Regional Trial Court yesterday for allegedly luring a 16-year-old girl to stay with him inside his rented condominium in Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu City in the months of May and June this year.

The girl, who sought the help of her relatives, claimed that Michael Wilson, a native of Sta. Monica, California, illegally detained her inside his rented condo where she was sexually abused and was allegedly castigated if she fails to follow what he says.

The affidavit of the girl reads that she had met Wilson sometime in April through an internet online dating website where she signed in as an 18-year-old member.

They quickly became friends and they would meet online often until Wilson courted her and she “developed an intense crush on him.” Wilson arrived in Cebu on May 4 and was met by the girl along with her parents.

The next day, the girl said the foreigner asked her to go with him to his rented condominium in Lapu-Lapu City and allegedly offered her to work as his assistant in his online business and promised to pay her P250 a day. Everyday, she goes to his condominium with a chaperon and a taxi would fetch her from her house to the condominium.

On May 14, Wilson allegedly called the girl and told her that there would be a taxi that would fetch her from her house at 10 a.m., so she went with her cousin and younger sister. But when they arrived at the condominium of Wilson, the latter allegedly sent back her chaperons to her house so they could have time with each other.

Wilson allegedly took her to his bathroom, where he started kissing and caressing the girl and asked her to undress. When the girl got angry, Wilson told her that it was okay and that he would just try to check if she was a virgin.

On May 15, they went together to the girl’s house where Wilson allegedly gave money to her parents and went back to the condominium. It was then that the American pursued with his sexual fantasies and succeeded in getting her virginity.

After the incident, the girl said that he would not let her go home to her parents and she was treated as his sex slave everyday and he even made her cook for him and clean his condo unit.

The girl said that when she does not prepare his food, he would castigate her until they later transferred to another condominium unit in Apas, Cebu City where the abuses continued.

The sexual abuse that she experienced ended last June 11 when she got sick and was brought to the hospital. Although Wilson would not permit her to go out, the American later agreed upon the insistence of the girl’s cousins to bring her to the hospital.

The girl confided to her aunt and cousin regarding her sufferings and she was immediately brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center’s Pink Room for help.

Wilson was arrested and charged in court. A motion for the issuance of a hold departure order was also filed against him, asking the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs to hold his departure from the Philippines while the case is still pending in the court. — Jasmin R. Uy/WAB (THE FREEMAN)