Mom pimps out minor daughter online, nabbed

CEBU, Philippines - A 15-year-old girl pimped out by her own mother for online sex to a foreign national was rescued by the police in Barangay Opao, Mandaue City last Saturday.

The 50-year-old mother was also arrested by the members of the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of Police Regional Office–7.

The operation led by Senior Police Officer 1 Angeles Yaun was in coordination with the International Justice Mission. The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the mother to protect the identity of the minor.

The operatives were armed with search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Jose Nathaniel Andal in Cebu City. The operation stemmed from the report of the Australian Federal Police about one of their citizens allegedly exploiting a minor in the Philippines for cybersex.

Based on the information, the minor was groomed by her mother to perform online sex with the Australian national who had been sending payment through a money remittance center.

The Australian authorities identified the suspect, whom the mother had transacted with online, as Stephen James Sherriff. According to the Australian police, Sherriff was convicted for “alleged soliciting and accessing exploitative images.” He was sentenced to serve less than three years in prison.

Based on the information, the mother started sending lewd photos of the victim since the latter was 10 years old.

Lawyer John Tanagho, IJM Cebu Field Office director, said the young girl is now in safe hands away from her mother.

“Because of coordinated police intervention by ACG, Queensland Police, and the Australian Federal Police, this young girl is now safe from her nightmare of abuse.  With significantly more personnel and funding, the PNP can really scale the fight to end OSEC in the Philippines so that children are protected from this alarming epidemic,” Tanagho said.

Yaun’s group seized several cellphones, including smartphones, from the mother. ACG will submit the phones for digital forensic examination.

Tanagho urged the Australian government to tighten its laws against those who are involved in cyber pornography.

“Foreigners who purchase child exploitative images create the demand for the sexual abuse of poor Filipino children.  It’s high time that Australia toughens its laws against those who solicit and access child exploitative material so that they can no longer traumatize Filipino children,” he said.

ACG and IJM also coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region-7 and the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) - Region 7.

The mother, who is currently detained at the Mandaue City Police Station 1, will face criminal complaints for violation of Republic Act 9208 or Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; R.A. 9975 the Anti-Child Pornography Act in relation to RA 10175 the Cybercrime Prevention Act; and R.A. 7610 or Child Abuse Act. — with Clydyl L. Avila/FPL (FREEMAN)