The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) condemned the “grooming” of minors following a viral social media post. In the post, a 60-year-old principal shared that he had been in a relationship with his student-turned-wife since she was 15.

Netizens quickly did the math and claimed that Benedict Mary Ambos was 51 when he began a romantic relationship with the student, who was in fifth grade at the time. The student was 19 when she married Ambos and became pregnant in 2020.

The post, which initially garnered over 16,000 comments, 45,000 shares, and nearly 100,000 reactions on Facebook, has since been deleted.

Republic Act 11930 defines “grooming” as predatory conduct aimed at establishing a relationship of trust or an emotional connection with a child, or with the child’s family, guardian, or caregivers. This conduct is intended to facilitate sexual abuse, exploitation, or the production of child sexual exploitation materials.

“Situations like these are worrisome because the perpetrator toys with the feelings of the young victims to sexually abuse or exploit them,” the CWC said.