How it leaked: Kids appeared in porn video

NBI agents found the bizarre family enterprise in Cordova town after their assistance was sought last May 25 by the Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) led by Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale.

Magpale asked the NBI to arrest the Cordova couple after learning that the parents were exploiting their own children for online pornography for the past three years.

Magpale told Cebu Daily News the PWC was able to obtain from a source a video showing the Cebuano children being asked to perform lewd actions at the request of foreign customers.

In one scene, a dog was involved with a little girl.

In return, the clients, mostly Americans, would pay by sending money through a commercial money transfer agency.

Payments ranged from $25 to $100 for each live performance.

Magpale told Cebu Daily News each child would receive P50 after a show while the parents kept the bulk of the money.

Magpale met yesterday with the children, who will be turned over to the care of government social workers.

She also talked with the father in the NBI-7 office.

“I hope you feel remorse for this. You exploited your children for money. The impact on their lives is very deep. Have you no pity for them? ” Magpale told the man in Cebuano.

The father bowed his head and listened in silence.

Magpale said the PWC was alarmed about the cyber pornography business since learning of the case in Cordova last year.

A technical working group was formed, bringing in prosecutors, social workers and the NBI-7.

“This is just a sample. I hope others in the neighborhood stop. We will pursue more violators,” Magpale said.

“PWC is very serious about this. It seems we are getting the help we need.”

Child pornography is a multimillion-dollar global business, made more prevalent by easy access on the Internet to upload and view lurid photos, and have chat sessions with underage youths.

Web cameras used in the privacy of homes and Internet cafes also make it easy to conduct business anonymously.

The Cordova children were taken yesterday to a hospital for medical examination and will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for counseling.

“The kids probably thought that what they were doing was all right,” said Marivic Garces, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development, who noted the parents’ active encouragement.

Garces said the children were also trained to use the computer by themselves.

“Even without their parents, they could access the sites where they were asked to perform,” she said.

One child told Vice Governor Magpale they were forced by their parents to perform whatever lewd gesture or activity a client demanded. /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol