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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider NBI arrests man 'for human trafficking, online peddling of child pornography'

NBI arrests man 'for human trafficking, online peddling of child pornography'

Published Aug 5, 2022 04:20 pm

National Bureau of Investigation

A man allegedly engaged in human trafficking and online trading of child pornography has been arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Cebu City.

In a press statement issued on Friday, Aug. 5, the NBI identified the arrested person as Romilo Romero who was nabbed by agents of the NBI’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD) in Sitio Cabancalan II in Barangay Bulacao.

“Subject was arrested in flagrante delicto (caught in the act) offering an individual for sexual intercourse in exchange for a sum of money, and selling child pornographic materials in violation of Section 5(b) of Republic Act No. 9208 as amended by RA 11862 and RA 9775, the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 , in relation to RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012,” the NBI said.

It said that since the NBI agents were also armed with a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) issued by Cebu Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 11, the operation also resulted in “the seizure of digital devices used by Subject Romero in committing the illegal acts.”

“During the operation, one male victim was rescued and turned over to the custody of the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Region VII,” it also said.

The NBI said the entrapment operation stemmed from “the report received by NBI-AHTRAD from the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking – Cyber-TIP Monitoring Center (DOJ IACAT-NBI CYBERTIP) regarding a certain individual behind a Twitter account @MarkjasonCj who is also using other social media platforms such as Telegram and Facebook to promote and sell self-produced videos of him performing sexual acts with male victims, some of whom are minors.”

“NBI-AHTRAD and DOJ-IACAT NBI-CYBERTIP conducted cyber surveillance, which confirmed that Romilo Romero, a resident of Bulacao, Cebu City, is the user of the Twitter account @MarkjasonCj who sells child pornographic materials through allowing access to channels containing said materials to paying clients,” it said.

“Operatives also found out that Romero was offering young males to paying customers for meetups in Cebu and for cybersex,” it added.

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