A woman has been arrested in Misamis Oriental for alleged online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday, Nov. 14.
In a statement, the DOJ said that the suspect, whose name was withheld, was arrested last Nov. 6 by operatives the Women and Children Protection Center-Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) which served a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD).
The DOJ said the "operation resulted in the rescue of four (4) minors -- one victim and three children-at-risk."
It also said the law enforcers "also confiscated crucial evidence from the suspect’s possession."
The DOJ said the activities of the woman were discovered during the WCPC-MFU’s online surveillance and cyber patrolling.
It said that WCPC-MFU found the suspect’s social media account which contained “evidence of her offering minors for sexual exploitation in exchange for money.”
It also said "the victims were found to have been coerced into performing sexual acts in front of a camera for online customers, who transfer money or use other online payment systems.”
“These images and videos were often resold online,” it added.
“This is a collective war anchored in our deep sense of duty to protect our children from harm, which now has even expanded to cyberspace.” said DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, underscretary-in-charge for the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC- CSAEM).