A mother has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the alleged online sexual exploitation of her two minor children.

In a statement, the NBI said the mother, whose name was withheld, was arrested by operatives of the NBI-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-HTRAD) during the service of a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) at her residence in Mabalacat, Pampanga last May 15.

“The NBI agents found and seized four (4) smartphones and one (1) laptop from the Subject,” it said.  

“The two (2) minor children were turned-over to the social workers of CSWDO (City Social Welfare and Development Office) Mabalacat City, for transfer of the minor children to a non-governmental organization shelter,” it also said.

The NBI said that its agents conducted an onsite live preview of one of the smartphones that were seized and “found various CSAEMs (Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials) contained therein.”

Following the mother’s arrest, she was charged before the Mabalacat City Prosecutor’s Office with violation of Section 4, paragraph (r) of Republic Act No. 11930, the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act, it also said.

It added that the operation was conducted after “NBI-HTRAD received a referral from the Royal Thai Police, facilitated by the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM (National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials) and forwarded through the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center).”

“The referral stemmed from a previous operation conducted by the Royal Thai Police, which led to the arrest of a British national identified as Benjamin John Wilkinson,” it disclosed.

“The seized cellphone of Wilkinson was examined by the Royal Thai Police which found that Subject sent obscene images of two minor females, who were possibly residing in Mabalacat, Pampanga,” it added.