A Spaniard -- who will be arraigned on Friday, Oct. 15, on charges of illegal sexual acts with a 16-year-old Filipina starting in 2020 and possession of child pornography -- has not posted bail but is detained at the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said that she was able to confirm from the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday night, Oct. 13, that Spanish national Francisco Manuel Sanchez de Oria, 36, also known as Franco Sanchez, is under detention at the BI which is conducting deportation proceedings against him.
The Taguig City regional trial court (RTC) Branch 15 issued last Aug. 31 a warrant of arrest against Sanchez who had been charged with 10 counts of violations of Republic Act No. 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, and one count of violation of RA 9775, the Anti-Child Pornography Act.
Undersecretary Villar said Sanchez was supposed to post a total bail of P2.2 million because the recommended bail for each count is P200,000.
Based on the information (criminal charge sheet) filed with the RTC, Sanchez was accused of “willfully, unlawfully and feloniously have sexual intercourse” in Taguig City with the victim who was “a minor, fifteen (15) years old at the time of the commission of the offense, or a child exploited in prostitution or subject to other sexual abuse, to the damage and prejudice of said victim.”
Last September, the DOJ said the prosecutors filed the charges before the RTC after conducting a preliminary investigation on the complaint filed last March 12 by the family of the 16-year-old exclusive school student who was called Jane (not her real name).
“The facts, as narrated by Jane, revealed that she met Sanchez in person on 14 December 2020 when he picked her up in Pasay City,” the DOJ said.
“After she was picked up, Sanchez brought Jane at his place in Taguig City where they took illegal drugs and immediately had sex – first sexual abuse,” it said.
It added that Sanchez met and committed “sexual abuse” with Jane several more times on Dec. 19 to 20; Dec. 27 to 28 in 2020 and on Jan. 7 to 8; Jan. 16, 21, 23, and 29; and Feb. 11 in 2021.
During some of these dates, the DOJ said Jane narrated that Sanchez was joined by other persons only known as “Sam” and “Gil.”
Former United States foreign service officer Dean Edward Cheves is facing similar charges before Pasay City RTC Branch 109 for having committed illegal sexual acts also with Jane.
The DOJ had said that it is looking into the possibility of extraditing Cheves who is in the US where he has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia last Aug. 3 for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and possession of pornography.
Cheves had been posted as a director of the US Embassy in Manila from September 2020 to February 2021.