Police nab man for P1M ‘sex video’ extortion

MANILA, Philippines — A 30-year-old man was arrested after attempting to extort P1 million from his ex-lover in exchange for not posting their alleged intimate video online.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Jerson Pantaleon was arrested by the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit (WCCPU) in Taguig City on February 17, for violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Violence Against Women and Children and Robbery Extortion in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

According to the police, Pantaleon was arrested after authorities received a complaint from his 60-year-old ex-girlfriend who first reported that she and Pantaleon were being blackmailed by an extortionist who threatened to post the couple’s alleged intimate video online.

However, operatives of the PNP-ACG discovered that the alleged extortionist was really Pantaleon who created the identity of the extortionist to mislead the victim.

“When we arrested the suspect, the sim card being used by the so-called extortionist was found in his possession,” said PNP ACG spokesperson Michelle Sabino in a separate text message to INQUIRER.net.

“Therefore siya rin yun. (It was him) He just didn’t want her to think it was him all along so he made a scheme that he too is being extorted,” she added.

Police also learned that the alleged intimate video of the couple does not exist.

“During the arrest, we found out that the so-called video na pinangbla-blackmail ni suspect (that the suspect used to blackmail the victim) is not their actual video but a video downloaded from a porn site,” said Sabino.

Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos lauded the police personnel behind Pantaleon’s arrest.

”As the report shows, the suspect tried to deceive the victim but due to the technical capability of our personnel, they were able to trace the suspect and outsmarted him,” said Carlos.

“The landscape of criminality has been extending to the internet or technology at large, so we have to double our efforts in learning the ropes,” he added.

RELATED STORIES:

PNP: Be careful online; beware of cybercrime, bank fraud

Baby Boomers, Silent Generation top victims of online love scams — study

/MUF