Aussie in sex den to face 3 complaints

CEBU, Philippines - The Australian national who was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly maintaining a cybersex den in Cebu City will be facing at least three complaints.

NBI Regional Director Antonio Pagatpat said they will be filing complaints for a violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-trafficking Act, violation of anti-child pornography and illegal possession of firearms against Drew Frederick Shobbrook, 46, before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office today.

Shobbrook’s arrest was done just a few days before the hosting of the  Second Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Conference on Cyber Pornography and Prostitution by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7.

The event will be held in Bohol Tropics, Tagbilaran City on April 23 to 25 and will be participated in by representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines.

The conference will allow the ASEAN countries to enhance capacities in responding to issues on human trafficking.

The event also aims to share various enabling mechanism in addressing issue on cyber pornography and cyber prostitution as well as preventive  and responsive strategies in identifying good practices to combat these types of crime.

The first conference on cyber pornography and prostitution was done last June  which centered on the dynamics and realities of these crimes.

The technological advancement in the 21st century has made production, storage and distribution of information easier.

However, it also brought in new forms of human exploitation through cyber pornography and cyber prostitution.

The Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) is open to work hand-in-hand with the Cebu City Women’s Commission to combat the operation of cybersex dens in the City.

Acting governor Agnes Magpale who also chairs the PWC said the experience of their technical working group can be of big help to others.

The PWC has partnered with the US Department Homeland Security after the raid of a cybersex den in Cordova, Cebu.

Because of the partnership, one NBI agent, Jed Hife       who was working with PWC, was offered to work for the Homeland Security last year.

Magpale said the Homeland Security assured her that they will be open to help PWC in future operations against cybersex dens in Cebu.

Magpale commended the NBI for successfully raiding a cybersex den in Barangay Labangon.

Fifteen women were rescued and four of them are reportedly minors.  They are now in the custody of the DSWD.

Magpale said based on their monitoring, a number of cybersex dens have transferred operations from the province to Cebu city.

The recent raid would signal the operators of these sex dens that Cebu City is now active in going after them.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Alexander Acosta of Regional Trial Court Branch 9, the NBI raided Shobbrook’s rented apartment and seized 15 computers, sex toys and other sex paraphernalia, a .45 pistol and a .38 caliber revolver.

Pagatpat said the confiscated evidence would prove that  sexual exploitation occurred in Shobbrook’s place.

Pagatpat said they conducted surveillance before they applied for a search warrant based on a complaint they received.

During investigation, it was found that lewd photos were uploaded in the internet.  They also learned that the girls have sexual contact with Shobbrook.

“Based on the investigation, there was money involved as compensation. They were hired as encoder and for sexual favor,” Pagatpat said.

Shobbrook earlier denied the allegations.  Pagatpat also said that they are conducting further investigation to determine if the owner of Shobbrook’s apartment has knowledge about his illegal activities.

“If the owner of the apartment knew of the illegal activities, then, he is also liable for it,” Pagatpat stressed. — Mylen P. Manto, Ria Mae Y. Booc, AJ de la Torre/MBG (FREEMAN)