THE 46-year-old Australian who was arrested Wednesday in barangay Labangon in Cebu City for his alleged involvement in cyberpornography and human trafficking will have to present convincing evidence that he did not sexually exploit women and minors.
Based on the deposition or written testimony submitted to the Cebu City Regional Trial Court in the application for a search warrant, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said it was able to recover lewd photographs of Shobbrook with some of the girls who were among those rescued in the raid.
“Mr. Shobbrook harbored, maintained, and exploited minor girls for sex in his apartment. He photographed them naked and while having sex with him. Mr. Shobbrook then posted the photographs in the Internet through his desktop computer via a website,” NBI supervising agent Rey Villordon said.
The NBI account was the basis for the issuance of a search warrant that was served the other day.
Fifteen women, including four suspected minors, were rescued from the apartments rented Shobbrook.
The victims, who were recruited through Facebook, were purportedly engaged to perform lewd acts in front of cameras and have sex with Shobbrook, a native of Sydney, Australia.
Villordon said the female victims were asked to have sex with the Australian before a camera, computers, and other devices. The images were transmitted through the Internet for a fee.
He said Shobbrook enticed the females through “monthly allowances, mall shopping, good food, education, and a good place to stay in his apartment.”
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said he wanted to know why a cyber sex den existed in barangay Labangon without the police and even the barangay officials knowing about it.
Rama said it is ironic that the illegal activity was undetected for about a year when there is a police station in the area.
“That has to be looked into. How did that exist for almost a year and not anyone looking into it to have it curbed or addressed? Why was it discovered only now?”
Rama also directed Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Mariano Natuel to submit a report on the NBI’s discovery of the cyber sex den.
Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale as well as the NBI vowed to continue their fight against cyberpornography and child exploitation.
“I’m aware of many other places in the city which have similar lewd operations. The recent arrest of the Australian national will give a signal to those in the same kind of trade that authorities will also go after them,” she told reporters.
Magpale said the Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission is willing to assist the female victims through legal, psychological counselling, and other means.
The females were placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Shobbrook, who repeatedly denied the accusations, retained the services of lawyer Miguel Duran to defend him.
Charges of child pornography, child abuse, illegal possession of firearms, and possibly a violation of qualified trafficking will be filed today against Shobbrook before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.
Under the law, qualified trafficking is a non-bailable offense. Anyone found guilty of this offense shall face life imprisonment.
NBI Central Visayas Regional Director Antonio Pagatpat said they were also to recover inside Shobbrook’s apartment several “computer-related materials, a 45 caliber pistol, .38 revolver, sex toys, among others.
The items will be turned over to the court within 10 days when the NBI makes a return of the warrant.
Pagatpat said each of the victims were given a monthly allowance of P5,000 by the suspect.
Pagatpat said some were hired as data encoders. He said the NBI is investigating whether the owner of the apartment where Shobbrook stayed knew of his activities.
“The evidence (against the Shobbrook) is overwhelming. We were able to recover pornographic pictures of the minors,” he said. /With a report from Edison A. Delos Angeles