Man charged for selling lewd videos, photos of minors

INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — State prosecutors have filed charges against a man accused of selling sexually explicit content featuring minors in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, the Regional Trial Court and the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday.

In an eight-page resolution, Benjie Ortillano was charged with violating Republic Act No. 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in March against Ortillano for allegedly selling explicit videos and photos of minors through the online platform Telegram.

READ: The fight vs online sexual abuse of children

The accused reportedly runs a Telegram channel for recorded lewd pictures and videos, which can be accessed by patrons for P499 to be sent to a designated GCash account.

After paying the amount, undercover agents received the link from Ortillano and found videos of him engaging in sexual acts with minors.

Compelling evidence

In one of the videos, the accused was shown in a sexual act allegedly with a Grade 9 student, while another footage showed him engaged in sexual activity with a young-looking male he described as “bagets.” Bagets is a colloquial term that comes from the Filipino word “bagito,” which means inexperienced young person.

“This compelling evidence, coupled with a warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 4 of Manila City, facilitated Ortillano’s arrest,” the DOJ said in a statement.

During their search, NBI operatives found the device that contained sexually explicit materials, particularly four videos where four minors were depicted as “bata (child),” “bagets” and “Grade 9 student,” the same videos that were discovered in Ortillano’s Telegram account.

Assistant State Prosecutor Agnes Bagaforo Arellano II said there was probable cause to hold Ortillano for violating Section 4(c) of RA 11930. The provision states that regardless of the consent of the child, it is unlawful for any person to “offer, sell, distribute, advertise, promote, export, or import by any means” child sexual abuse or exploitation materials.

“Section 4(c) of the same law punishes the act of affirming, selling and distributing CSAEM for a fee. This provision was clearly violated by the respondent,” Arellano said.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the case showed the government’s determination to protect children from online exploitation. “The collaboration between the DOJ and NBI is crucial in dismantling these criminal networks. We will continue to pursue and prosecute individuals who engage in such heinous activities,” he added.