Grade school teacher Joel Ragodos has been arrested by the Anti Trafficking in Persons Division of the PNP Women and Children’s Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) following a sting operation conducted by operatives of the PNP Anti Trafficking in Persons Division.
He was selling his own niece to foreigners
The suspect was caught in the act of receiving 30,000 pesos from the alleged pedophile in return for a week with his 10-year-old niece.
According to authorities, his modus is to offer his niece to foreign nationals in exchange for money. The foreigners then take videos of their sex acts with the child.
According to Senior Superintendent Villamor Tuliao, "This case was referred to us by the Australian Federal Police sometime in July, because of the arrest of a French national abusing a Filipina girl…they find ang bata 'yung Filipina, na-identify nila yung facilitator, came from the Philippines."
He was also abusing his niece
"In the case nong French national, ipinadala niya ang bata sa Dumaguete at doon ginawa ang abuse dito sa bata. So etong perpetrator, ibibenta niya not only yung video, but also in sex tourism ginagamit niya itong bata na ibinebenta to anyone na pwedeng maging client nitong bata
"Umamin itong bata na pati ang tiyuhin niya, ina-abuse siya," Tuliao adds.
A sex toy as well as lubricant were recovered by authorities from the suspect and his niece's backpack.
This is the first 'dark web' case that they have solved
According to authorities, this is the first instance of a 'dark web' case that they have solved.
The 'dark web' is content on the internet that can't be accessed without using specialized software, or without authorization.
Superintendent Sheila Portento, officer in charge of the PNP-WCPC operations shares, "Sa landscape ng internet meron kase tayong nakikita na maliit na portion nung iceberg ng internet. Yung lahat ng na-a-access natin na internet, Facebook, Yahoo, ito yung maliit na portion na nasa ibabaw. Yung next na pinakamalaki ay yung deep web, eto yung highly secured na, like medical records, financial statements, bank records."
She adds, "Security conscious din itong criminals natin. Hindi na sila puwedeng to any other normal regular sites, kase madali silang matunton, they resort to dark web kase yugn level nga mas malalim. Kahit kami hindi rin basta basta makakapsok without the help of our foreign counterparts. Not everyone can access sa dark web, kase nga unang-una they deal illegal transactions here, so for as long as, walang magbibigay sa iyo ng access papasok."
Meanwhile, the suspect maintains that he did not try to sell his niece for sex. He added that he was with his niece since it was her birthday, and that the foreigner entrapped him. He will be charged with violation of Anti Trafficking Act of 9208 and RA 7610 or Anti Child Abuse Law.
Meanwhile, his niece will be placed under the custody of the DSWD.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
READ: Father sold his 1-month-old baby for 5000 pesos