Online child sex abuses in PH rise

MANILA, Philippines — Incidents of online child sexual exploitation in the country have increased during the quarantine, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) is stepping up efforts to go after their perpetrators.

Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said there had been more child exploitation materials coming from the Philippines since the country was placed on lockdown, based on reports of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“Operations are being conducted to gather evidence to file cases about the incidents,” Villar said at the Laging Handa briefing.

The DOJ is also coordinating with Facebook to take down posts showing children being sexually abused, she said.

Perpetrators could be charged with violation of the Anti-Child Pornography Act and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, she said.

According to Villar, the quarantine imposed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease contributed to the increase in the cases of online sexual exploitation of children.

The people who sought out this kind of materials spent more time at home and on the internet, so the demand has grown.