OPERATIVES of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Anti Violence Against Women and Children Division (NBI-AVAWCD) arrested five individuals engaged in selling child sexual exploitation materials.
Five minors including an eight month-old baby were rescued by the police.
The suspects were arrested in an operation which stemmed from information received regarding a certain individual who had been offering and selling child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM) to foreign individuals.
According to the information received, an American citizen named Charles Wheat was arrested in the U.S. for possession, production, and distribution of CSAEM. He admitted that he was receiving CSAEM from suspects were allegedly abusing prepubescent children in the Philippines.
Investigation conducted by NBI-AVAWCD confirmed that suspects indeed offer CSAEM to foreign individuals in exchange for a fee. With these, AVAWCD operatives hatched an entrapment and rescue operation.
The poseur-client was able to communicate with suspects thru Facebook Messenger. Suspect even agreed to have a video call with the poseur-client to show the minor victims for sexual exploitation.
On October 6, 2022, armed with a Warrant to Search, Seize and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) and in cooperation with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT), HSI Transnational Crime Investigative Unit (HSI-TCIU), and City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) of Pampanga, NBI-AVAWCD operatives, together with NBI-Digital Forensic Laboratory (NBI-DFL) agents, proceeded to the residence of the Subject in Pampanga.
As agreed upon, suspect called the poseur-client via Messenger video call showing that she was with the two minor victims.
Upon confirmation that suspect was with minor victims, operatives immediately proceeded to their house resulting in the arrest of five individuals.
The operation also resulted in the rescue of seven minor victims, the youngest of whom is eight month old. Based on the on-site examination of the DFL, it was confirmed that suspects are indeed engaged in distribution of CSAEM.
