Online sexual exploitation victims rescued

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) rescued five victims, four of them minors, and arrested one suspect in Caloocan City and Rodriguez, Rizal, following a coordinated international investigation with Dutch authorities targeting online sexual exploitation.

The NBI’s Human Trafficking Division (HTRAD) arrested the suspect in Caloocan City on 16 October for violating the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act (Republic Act 11930) and qualified trafficking in persons (RA 9208).

Authorities said that the operation was initiated after a referral from the Dutch National Police on 18 August through the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC).

The referral identified a Filipino individual suspected of producing and distributing child sexual abuse or exploitation materials.

NBI agents used open-source intelligence to trace several victims, including a 10-year-old elementary student from Caloocan City, and later identified three other minors who had changed schools.