US Homeland to go after foreign porn customers

EVENTUALLY, the crackdown on cyberpornography uncovered in Cordova town, Cebu will lead to the foreign clients who paid for this illicit service.

“We will investigate their involvement. So far, no one has been arrested. (But) the arrest will occur in the future,” said Christopher Harvey, said assistant attache of the US Department of Homeland Securty in an interview.

Harvey said they will coordinate with counterparts in other countries to identify other clients because cyberpornography “is a global problem. Our investigation is ongoing,” he said.

The prosecution yesterday ended its presentation of all their 10 witnesses against the married couple accused of pornography, child abuse and qualified trafficking charges before the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City.

Asst. Provincial Prosecutor Lolita Lomanta said they have 20 days to file their memorandum in court.

“We believe we have shown sufficient evidence to establish the elements (of the crime),” Lomanta said.

The defense is scheduled to present its first witness before RTC Judge Sylvestre Maamo on August 17.

Present during the hearing yesterday afternoon were Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, members of the US Department of Homeland Security and US computer forensic expert Matthew Swenson.

Swenson was the 10th and last witness for the prosecution.

He testified on Thursday that the mother kept three different Yahoo! Messenger accounts for chat messages in order to transact business with clients abroad.

In the chat messages extracted from the home computer, the mother purportedly offered to conduct a show with her children for $25 to $35.

The cybersex business went on for several months until the house was raided by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) on June 1, 2011.

A digital forensic laboratory for the police was opened the other day in Sudlon, Cebu City with the turnover of P2 milion worth of equipment and software from the United States government.

The equipment was donated through a grant program of the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program.

PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr., thanked Keith Swinehart, Regional Security Officer of the US Embassy, for the donation.

Pagdilao said this will help police in their campaigns against terrorism and cyber pornography and prostitution.

The laborator will be headed by Senior Inspector Michael Vertudazo with seven other staff. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol and Correspondent Chito Aragon