Cops arrest 17-year-old 'mastermind,' rescue 15 minors in anti-cybersex operation

Operatives of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) arrested the suspected 17-year-old mastermind of a cybersex operation and rescued the 15 minors she allegedly pimped to foreigners.

According to John Consulta's report on "24 Oras" on Thursday, the authorities conducted the entrapment and rescue operation at a private resort in Sampaloc, Manila, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The authorities arrested the alleged teenage mastermind and another 18-year-old suspect. They also rescued 15 minors, aged between 13 and 17, who were allegedly pimped to foreigners for P10,000 each.

The NCRPO said it was not easy to arrest the suspects, as the operation took them two weeks to accomplish.

“Ang kanila lamang pinagbibigyan ng ganitong klase ng mga serbisyo ay mga foreigners. So nagpanggap tayo at doon tayo nakipag-engage sa kanila. At doon nga nalaman natin na talagang nag-o-offer sila ng cybersex,” said NCRPO Regional Intelligence Division Police Captain Artemio Cinco.

(They only offer this kind of service to foreigners. We pretended [to be clients] and that is when we engaged them and learned that they are offering cybersex.)

According to the United States National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline from 2019 to 2021, there has been an increase in reported online child sexual exploitation worldwide, including the Philippines.

Many of the cases are related to the uploading of child sexual abuse materials.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos went to the NCRPO office to meet with the two suspects and 15 minors who were rescued.

Abalos also met with representatives of the Department of Justice, DSWD, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology, NBI, Philippine National Police, and UN Special Envoy Nikki Prieto-Teodoro to declare war against online sexual exploitation of children.

“Ako mismo, nangangako, ipapakulong namin kayo. Hindi kami titigil dito,” said Abalos.

(I myself promise to put you in jail. We will not stop here.)

Meanwhile, the suspect is now in the custody of the DSWD. She will also face charges of violation of child trafficking and violating the Cybercrime Prevention Law while the follow-up investigation continues. —Sherylin Untalan/BAP/KG, GMA News