Australian pedophile Peter Scully has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he was charged with multiple cases of kidnapping, human trafficking, voyeurism, child abuse, rape, and murder, three years after his arrest in Malaybalay, Bukidnon back in 2015.
The court also declared his Filipino partner, Carme Ann Alvarez, guilty of human trafficking. Both have been sentenced to serve life sentences. The court also imposed a fine of P5 million for one human trafficking charge.
Scully and other suspects face 75 criminal offenses in total. On top of his life sentence, Scully will also face six to nine years of imprisonment for each of the five cases of rape, including P120,000 in damages.
Pedophile Sentenced To Life Imprisonment Subjected Young Girls to Horrific Abuse
Scully has abused and exploited children of all ages, chaining them like dogs before torturing them on film. He had escaped fraud charges in his native Australia and put up a cybersex syndicate in Southern Philippines back in 2011.
Most of his victims, one as young as 16 months old, were from impoverished families in far-flung regions. A more heartbreaking aspect of the case was that a majority of the children's parents had given the pedophile their consent. Reports say he also raped and murdered a 12-year-old girl on film.
"The children have been traumatized. We provide them therapy to help them prepare for a normal life," regional social welfare director Nestor Ramos told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Despite this long overdue decision, officer in charge of the regional prosecutor's office, Merlynn Uy sees this development as a "big victory."
"This sends a very strong signal to traffickers that this government is serious in pursuing and prosecuting these cases," she told AFP.
How Can We Protect Our Kids Safe Online?
This case is truly a horrific and heartbreaking reminder of the dangers that lurk online. As parents, you have the power to protect your child from predators. Here are simple ways to keep your child safe online.
Always remind your kids to take note of these safety measures!
- Don’t give out personal information, like your address or phone number, even to friends you know offline.
- Think before you click. This goes for uploading photos, text, online. Teach kids to remember that what you post online, stays there.
- Do not be a bully. Anonymity doesn’t excuse rude behavior. Always practice kindness online.
- Do not interact with strangers. The saying, "Don’t talk to strangers: doesn’t just apply to life offline. Your child should know that there are dangerous people lurking online.
- Do not share passwords with anyone aside from mom and dad. Privacy should be of utmost importance! Respect your own and the privacy of others.
- Do not download anything without permission. Even if the app or software seems safe, it could easily have inappropriate content not suitable for kids.
- Just because it’s online doesn’t make it true. In the age of fake news, it’s so easy for many to misinterpret viral content and take it as fact.
- Be wary or internet pornography. If your child is still too young, just let them know there are videos and images out there that aren’t appropriate. Don’t go into too much detail. Protecting them from seeing porn at a young age can help them develop a healthy attitude on sexuality.
- If they see something inappropriate, tell an adult. Teach kids not to be ashamed if they see something bad or for “grown-ups.” If they feel the least bit uncomfortable about what they saw, they should speak up about it.
source: CNN Philippines, Asia One
Also READ: 8 out of 10 Filipino children are at risk for online sex abuse, says UNICEF
