French suspect’s laptop hard to crack

POLICE anti-cybercrime operatives are still trying to crack the contents of the  laptop computer used by a 43-year-old Frenchman who was arrested last Saturday for allegedly bringing women and young girls to his hotel room in uptown Cebu City.

Senior Insp. Michael Virtudazo, anti-cyber crime group (ACG) chief, said it would take them 45 days to examine the hard drive taken from Alex Lefur’s laptop to determine if it contained pornographic material.

Virtudazo said Lefur is an information technology expert and that gaining access to his computer files won’t be easy.

“Of the thousands of files stored in (Lefur’s) hard drive, we will narrow the search to data that could determine if he is involved in cyberpornography,” Virtudazo said.

Lefur was visited by Louis Thevenin, director of the Alliance Francaise in Cebu, who promised to provide legal assistance.

Based on his passport, Lefur first visited the country last Feb. 4 and went back  to Singapore  on March 13 this year. His last visit to Cebu was on June 12 and he was arrested three days later.

Joan Saniel of the Children’s Legal Bureau said that charges of violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 would be filed against Lefur today at the  Cebu City prosecutor’s office.

Lefur was placed under surveillance for a week before he was arrested.

Two girls aged 14 and 19 years old were inside Lefur’s hotel room when police barged in last Saturday afternoon.

Used condoms, a laptop, cell phones and USB devices were recovered by  the police in the hotel room.

Asked if Lefur was under arbitrary detention,  Saniel  said no because a charge is being filed within 36 hours of his arrest.

The two females are under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

DSWD information officer Jaybee Binghay said the two will undergo counseling and medical examination. Correspondents Chito Aragon and Joy Cherry S. Quito