Australian pleads not guilty to trafficking charges
AN Australian national who was arrested on July 20 for keeping four under-age girls at his residence in barangay Inayagan, Naga City, pleaded not guilty on charges of qualified trafficking and seven counts of child abuse.
He denied the allegations during arraignment before Regional Trial Court Judge Manuel Patalinghug of Branch 22 yesterday.
He was assisted by lawyers Charie Mae and Tony Cabilte.
A pre-trial conference is scheduled on Oct. 6.
Since the girls are minors, the violation falls under “qualified trafficking,” a nonbailable offense.
The special law’s confidentiality provisions ban the identification of both the victims and the accused in the media.
The Australian male was arrested by policemen last July 20.
Four girls, aged 14 and 15, were rescued and placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The girls, who are assisted by the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), were present during the proceedings yesterday.
They covered themselves with blankets to hide their identities.
In an interview, CLB lawyer Joan Suarez-Pabriaga said they have enough evidence to ensure conviction.
“We will prove that he is indeed guilty,” she said. She said medical exam results showed that the children were sexually molested.
In his counter-affidavit, the accused denied the allegations.
He said the girls, whom he hired to clean and maintain his home, can freely move in and out of the house. REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL
