Briton arrested

CEBU, Philippines -  A 57-year-old British national believed to be a pedophile was arrested by police yesterday afternoon after he was caught in a hotel with a minor and a 19-year-old girl.

Christopher John Bragoli, a hip-hop dance instructor in one of the universities in Japan, was arrested by operatives of Anti-Cybercrime Group of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7.

Senior Inspector Michael Virtudazo told The FREEMAN they received information from their foreign counterpart last week that Bragoli would be arriving in Cebu on Sunday.

After Bragoli’s arrival here, police conducted a continuous surveillance operation until they discovered yesterday that the suspect checked in at a hotel on Juana Osmeña Street, together with the minor and the 19-year-old girl.

With Department of Social Welfare and Development-7, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force-7 and International Justice Mission, police coordinated with the management of the hotel.

Virtudazo said the management’s cooperation resulted to the arrest of the suspect and the rescue of the victims, adding that the operation would not be successful if not for the good relationship between the Philippine police and their foreign counterparts.

The victims were then brought to Crisis Intervention Unit of DSWD-7 for interview while the suspect was brought to Regional Health Services Unit-7 for medical examination.

Depending on the statement of the victims, two cases could be filed against the suspect. Police said Bragoli is liable for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and he may also be held liable for expanded human trafficking.

Bragoli is said to be a dance instructor based in Japan and has been living there for 20 years.

He has been in and out of the Philippines, according to Virtudazo. In fact, in 2013, he reportedly met a 12-year-old Filipino girl whom he is supposed to meet this year.

He reportedly finds young girls in a social networking site and uses the site to lure them into doing sexual acts over the Internet for money which he sends through remittance firms.

Virtudazo added that most of his victims are minors who are made to pose nude online.

Virtudazo believes that these pictures are uploaded and circulated in pornographic sites.

To validate this report, Virtudazo said he will apply for a warrant to look into the contents of the suspect’s laptop computer.

Bragoli is the second foreign national to be arrested this year for child abuse and human trafficking case. The first was a Swedish who was arrested in Talisay City. —/JMD (FREEMAN)