‘Pedophile’ arrested after arriving in Manila

INQUIRER.net stock photo

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected pedophile fell into the hands of authorities during an entrapment operation, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.

Piotr Kmita, 43, the suspected American pedophile, was arrested shortly after he arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 on board a China Eastern Airlines flight from Pudong, China, while meeting his victim.

Bienvenido Castillo, who heads the BI-NAIA’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit, said the operation stemmed from a request of the US Department of Homeland Security.

According to Castillo, the US asked the assistance of the BI to monitor the whereabouts of Kmita after reports that he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with his victims on social media.

He said the information was relayed to the PNP in Pampanga and a joint operation was conducted to intercept Kmita upon his arrival in Manila, Castillo said.

BI chief Jaime Morente commended the efforts of his personnel in arresting Kmita, as he warned foreign nationals that sex tourists are prohibited in the Philippines.

“Do not prey on our women and children. We do not welcome sex tourists in the country,” said Morente.

Kmita will be deported to the US as soon as criminal charges against him are resolved. Nevertheless, he will first serve his sentence here in the country before he could be sent back to his home country.

Kmita will be charged for violating Republic Act 10364 or the expanded anti-trafficking in persons act which penalizes the act of “procuring a child for prostitution and obtaining a person for the purpose of prostitution. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)