Rewards, livelihood against cyberporn in Cordova

A REWARD system for informers and livelihood opportunities will be used by Cordova officials to reduce the spread of cybersex dens in their municipality.

Both proposals were discussed yesterday in a closed-door meeting of Capitol and Cordova officials with national government agencies at the office of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

The meeting was called in the wake of last Wednesday’s raid of a private residence in Cordova town where the parents allegedly used a webcam to feature nude videos of their young children performing sexual acts.

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy said the Capitol agreed to grant monetary rewards to informants who can identify cybersex den operators.

A “mini Boracay” will be set up in barangays Gabi, Alegria, and Poblacion to provide livelihood for residents while teachers will be required to teach basic moral values in their classes, the mayor said.

Last week’s NBI-7 arrested a couple in their home for exploiting their five children and a niece for a cybersex operation at home.

The raid was done with the assistance of the US Homeland Security Department, which will identify the American clients of the couple.

Sitoy earlier admitted the presence of home-based cybersex operations in the Cordova town where families were using webcams to post pornographic photos and videos of women and children on the Internet for viewers who pay.

Based on an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7), the couple maintained two Yahoo! E-mail accounts to attract clients.

The couple are facing charges of qualified trafficking, violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Act, and Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol