‘Notorious’ child trafficker falls in Bulacan

A man "notorious" for producing, selling, and distributing child pornography fell to operatives of the police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and their counterparts from the United States and Norway in an operation in Bulacan on Thursday. 

The operation that nabbed the subject, Anselmo Ico Jr, alias Jaja Jhoncel, also led to the rescue of five minors, said Atty. Janet Francisco, chief of the NBI's Anti-Human Trafficking Division.

But he may have at least 15 child victims the NBI is readying to rescue next, she said.

Thursday's operation in Barangay Anilao, Malolos City stemmed from a letter from Norway's criminal investigation service on January 3, which said that they have arrested a Norwegian citizen for buying child pornography from the Philippines using Skype accounts, according to a press release from the NBI.

Authorities would later learn that Ico uses different names to communicate with his clients, such as the arrested Norwegian national Ketil Andersen.

Ico derives his income from engaging pedophiles in the US, Norway, and other European countries through websites where he offers shows, some live, that displays him having sex with minors, said Francisco.

"Ito na talaga ang source of income niya. At dahil nga sa notorious siya, hindi nakakapagtaka [na] ang NBI, ang PNP, ang HSI [Homeland Security Investigations], ang Norway ay nagsama-sama para lang maging strong 'yung ebidensiya sa kanya at hindi na talaga siya makalabas ng kulungan," she said.

In some cases, he allegedly "offers" his relatives, neighbors and friends to his clients. He is said to have accomplices.

"Kilalang kilala talaga siya na nag-o-offer ng mga bata," the NBI official said, later claiming that the primary reason, but not a justification, for child sex trade is poverty.

"Dahil po sa kahirapan, napapansin namin na 'yung mga subjects po natin ay nakakagawa ng ganito. At 'yung mga bata naman 'yung mga biktima, ginu-groom nila sila. Pinapaniwala nila 'yung mga bata na normal 'to, kailangan natin itong gawin para mayroon tayong pambili ng pagkain," she said.

According to Francisco, the "evasive" Ico had been chatting with an undercover agent since 2016, but Senior Superintendent Villamor Tuliao, her police counterpart, said the man had been in their radar since 2011.

Ico denied producing live shows, saying his videos come from a USB. He also said the videos where he is allegedly seen having sex with children as young as seven years old featured "fake fucking."

The NBI will file charges against him on Friday for violations of the Expanded Anti-Human Trafficking of Persons Act of 2012, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, and the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009. —KG, GMA News