Trusted individuals behind online child abuse

Large criminal syndicates are no longer the dominant sexual exploiters of the youth in the Philippines as family members and caregivers have become the top perpetrators or recruiters in the online commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).

A study of cases heard by the Supreme Court from 2003 to 2024 revealed how child sexual abuse in the country has evolved alongside technological advancements such as the availability of livestreaming applications, making such crimes more difficult to detect as they often happen in the home.

And the victims are becoming younger, with a growing number aged between five and 12 years being exploited for as little as P20.

In the CSEC cases studied, 51 percent of those who committed the crime were women, mostly family members or caregivers of the victims within their homes.

Of 160 identified perpetrators, 33 percent pimps. Some perpetrators were also recruiters.

Meanwhile, of the 85 identified relationships between victims and perpetrators, 46 percent involved strangers introduced by third parties, 17 percent involved family members, 14 percent involved friends, and 12 percent were neighbors.

“While law enforcement has improved, the rise of technology-facilitated exploitation has made these crimes more complex,” lead researcher and head of the Philippine General Hospital Child Protection Unit Dr. Bernadette Madrid said.

“Enhanced legal measures, digital monitoring, and community awareness are crucial to protect vulnerable children,” Madrid added.

Madrid conducted the study on behalf of Childlight, a global child safety data institute hosted by the University of Edinburgh and the University of New South Wales and established by the Human Dignity Foundation.

Childlight utilizes academic research to better understand the nature and prevalence of child sexual exploitation to aid the formulation of policies to protect children against crimes.

The study identified urban centers such as Manila, Cebu City, and Angeles City as CSEC hotspots because of poverty, tourism, and the increasing availability of digital platforms.

Families were lured to participate in these activities through false job offers, invitations to social gatherings, or direct invitations to engage in prostitution. Threats and manipulation were among the tactics employed by recruiters to force victims to participate in activities leading to online child sexual abuse.

To combat CSEC, lawmakers earlier passed the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act in 2022, which holds both perpetrators, social media platforms, and payment system providers accountable for the crime.

As offenders adapt to new technologies, a dynamic response is needed to keep pace with the evolving nature of online child sexual exploitation.

A key recommendation included in the study is the implementation of community awareness programs in identified CSEC hotspots to educate residents in identifying and reporting child sexual exploitation to authorities.

Another is the creation of a unified hotline system and a referral system for OSAEC. Local governments must also strictly enforce laws against OSAEC and CSAEM which includes forming monitoring teams and conducting campaigns to prevent CSEC.