After Raid In Barangay Pasil: US agents check cybersex patrons

CEBU, Philippines - Federal agents of the United States of America yesterday met with local counterparts following a successful raid of a suspected cybersex den in barangay Pasil where four children paid to strip in front of a web camera were rescued.

Agents from the U.S. Homeland Security Office in Manila came over to Cebu to conduct their own investigation after learning from media reports that such illegal activity proliferated because of the international market.

Foreign customers from the other parts of the globe will pay in dollars through money transfer to be able to view children stripping in front of the web camera.

Federal agents yesterday interviewed the four children rescued during the NBI operation hoping to identify the people, who engaged their services.

Federal agents are also looking at the possibility of being able to conduct electronic autopsy on the computers confiscated during the Pasil raid to track the history of all the transactions.

The NBI have so far retrieved several electronic mails and money transfer transactions between the suspects, Archie Cuizon Abala, Stella Marie Lopez and Alfredo Fernandez and the supposed foreign customers, from the computers seized during the raid.

NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos refused to give details on the presence of their U.S. counterpart saying it might jeopardize their own investigation.

The NBI already filed yesterday criminal complaints against Abala, Lopez and Fernandez before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Charges for violation of the Republic Act 9208 otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and R.A. 7610 or the Child Abuse Law have already been prepared by the fiscal’s office for filing before the court today.

NBI agent Bernard de la Cruz said the information of the case against Abala and Lopez would have been filed in court yesterday but they run out of time. The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office did not recommend bail for the temporary liberty of the two accused.

A similar case against Fernandez, who eluded arrest during the raid, is also under preliminary investigation before the prosecutor’s office.

De la Cruz led his fellow NBI agents during the raid last Monday evening that resulted in the arrest of Abala and Lopez.

Three girls, aged 9, 12 and 17, and a 17-year-old gay were taken into protective custody of the NBI after they were caught stripping in front of the web camera with male foreigners watching thru the Internet.

Prior to the raid, de la Cruz said they received a complaint from a certain Alma Reyes alleging that minors are being exploited by the suspects.

According to the complainant, the suspects are taking advantage of the poverty of the minors by paying them to pose nude in front of the web camera.

De la Cruz said they immediately conducted surveillance operation to confirm the information.

The surveillance which was conducted since January 25 until February 7 has confirmed the report. An operation was immediately hatched resulting to the rescue of the four minors.

The minors will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. One of the four minors said she get paid P200 a day for posing in front of the web camera. — /NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)