Briton with minor in hotel stays jailed

CEBU, Philippines - Prosecutors recommended no bail for the British national who was arrested earlier this month for alleged sexual exploitation.

John Bragoli, 57, was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 on November 6 for bringing a minor and a 19-year-old woman into a hotel.

Prosecutor Rodulph Carillo filed two charges against Bragoli for violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and another charge for violating the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

"The said accused, with deliberate intent, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously bring ... a 15-year-old minor to a hotel or private place of which the accused is more than 10 years older and he is not related to said [minor]…thereby subjecting her to emotional and psychological abuse and prejudiced the child's growth and development," the first charge sheet reads.

"The said accused, with deliberate intent, with intent to gain, did then and there harbor, solicit and offer money to one [girl]…a 15-year-old minor, for the purpose of sexual exploitation in violation of section 4(a) in relation to 6(a) of R.A. 9208," the second charge sheet reads.

The third charge was for offering woman money in exchange for sexual exploitation.

Carillo recommended P120,000 bail for child abuse; P200,000 for human trafficking but has not set bail for the third offense.

Visayas ACG chief, Senior Insp. Michael Virtudazo, said they arrested Bragoli with the help of their foreign counterparts.

Bragoli, a hip-hop dance instructor in one of the universities in Japan, has reportedly been coming in and out of the country and has been meeting up with minor girls for sexual exploitation.

The ACG hatched a surveillance operation on Bragoli after receiving a tip that he would return to the country. It was on November 5 when they found out that Bragoli checked into the hotel in Juana Osmeña Street together with the 19-year-old girl.

The following day, they hatched the coordinated operation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force-7 and International Justice Mission. (FREEMAN)