Police have arrested a 41‑year‑old man accused of stalking and sexually harassing a woman online over several years in what authorities describe as a “gender‑based” digital abuse case, highlighting the persistent threat of cyber harassment and challenges in enforcement of anti‑online abuse laws. 

The suspect, identified only by the alias “Paco”,was taken into custody on Sunday in an entrapment operation conducted by the Philippine National Police Anti‑Cybercrime Group Eastern District team, according to Police Brigadier General Wilson Asueta, chief of the anti‑cybercrime unit.

“We have operation conducted by our Eastern District Anti‑Cybercrime Team wherein one individual was arrested … Ito ay gender‑based online sexual harassment,” Asueta said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

The complainant — identified only as “Amy,” a 21‑year‑old student, told investigators the harassment began in August 2022, when she was still a minor and a neighbor of the suspect. 

According to her account, the suspect first made contact via Facebook and sent an explicit video. Despite being blocked, the man allegedly continued to pursue her over time by creating multiple social media accounts.

Over the past three years, the suspect reportedly offered the woman money in exchange for sex on at least three separate occasions — in September 2023, February 2025, and just weeks before his arrest. 

Amy told investigators she feared the unwanted attention and contacted the authorities when the suspect persisted. 

The suspect faces legal action for gender-based online sexual harassment under the Safe Spaces Act, in addition to grave coercion charges under the Revised Penal Code, linked to violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.