The police raided an alleged cybersex den in Quezon City and its two “branches” simultaneously on Wednesday night, resulting in the arrest of 20 people who served as sellers or conduits to pornographic materials and websites.
Among those arrested was Mark Pudoy, allegedly one of the maintainers; Christian San Juan, one of the supposed branch managers; and 18 “chatters” or chat sales agents. Authorities failed to catch Paul James Malapitan, another alleged maintainer.
The operations were carried out by members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Special Operations Unit and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Armed with search warrants issued by Judge Arthur Malabaguio of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 93, they raided the office of Kaunlaran Contact Solutions and Associates Inc. located on Ilocos Sur Street in Barangay Santo Cristo.
Also raided were the two branches on West Avenue and Timog Avenue, leading to the arrest of 20 people, mostly chatters aged between 20 and 33 years old.
Seized from the three establishments were over 45 computer sets, routers and modems.
Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director, said undercover agents had applied as “chatters” at one of the cybersex dens. One agent was later referred to another branch, leading to the discovery that the three were interconnected.
During the raid, 10 of the chatters were caught in the act of selling pornographic materials online.
According to the police, the company promoted several pornographic websites to foreigners, offering them access if they paid a membership fee.
The chatters, who were paid on commission basis, would assume different identities and nationalities while communicating with their foreign clients on these websites.
Eleazar said these interactions would usually lead to “sextortion” in which chatters would demand money in exchange for not spreading the victims’ lewd photos and videos.
The arrested suspects face charges for violating Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.