Photographer faces raps over boy’s pics

CEBU, Philippines - A fashion photographer is facing charges before the court for allegedly posting nude photos of a 17-year-old boy on a social networking site.

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office filed charges for violation of the Anti-Pornography Act and of the Video Voyeurism Act against Michael Angelo Ortega of Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.

State Prosecutor Van Russell Inopequez dropped the child abuse case filed against Ortega and instead filed the two cases against him.

During last Wednesday’s inquest proceeding, agent Rey Villordon of the National Bureau of Investigation-7 said Ortega chose not to file a counter-affidavit to answer the allegations filed against him and instead manifested to face the charges in court.

On Monday, the NBI lead by Villordon, served a search warrant against Ortega at his house in Don Bosco Proper.

Ortega’s house has reportedly turned into a photo studio.

The suspect did not resist arrest.

NBI-7 assistant regional director Dominador Cimafranca said some time last December, the parents of the minor sought their help after seeing the alleged lewd photos of their son on Facebook.

Cimafranca said the minor was allegedly enticed to be a model and pose for photographs for an advertisement and in return, was given monetary consideration.

The NBI conducted surveillance to confirm the veracity of the complaint.

Villordon said during the operation, they seized photographs, a laptop and cameras of Ortega.

Ortega’s partner, who refused to be named, earlier said Ortega had been a freelance photographer long before they became partners.

He said that before they did the shoot, there was a casting call posted on Facebook for freelance models to be part in their collection, which was supposed to feature top ten males in Cebu.

Reportedly, there was an exchange of private messages in social networking sites between Ortega and the minor.

Ortega’s partner added they only learned that the boy was a minor right after the shoot.

He said that a few days after they posted the pictures for their collection online, they received a call from the boy’s mother asking them to delete their son’s photos, to which they did.  (FREEMAN)