Cyberporn goes mobile to evade authorities

CEBU CITY—Cyberporn operators have found a way of avoiding detection from law enforcers: mobile phones.

An 18-year-old girl was caught using her mobile phone’s webcam as her niece was posing nude for an American client who was online.

“Jamie” (not her real name) was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation members who raided her house in Barangay Cogon, Cordova town, Cebu past 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Also arrested was her mother-in-law “Nena” (not her real name) who was with four other minors in an adjacent house.

The five rescued minors were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Services for counseling.

The agents proceeded to the Mactan Economic Processing Zone in Lapu-Lapu City where they took into custody Jamie’s 22-year-old live-in partner “Arnold” (not his real name).

Conspiracy

Arnold reportedly conspired with Jamie in running their cyberporn business at home.

The three will be charged with violations of Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Two cellular phones—one owned by Jamie and the other by Nena—were confiscated by the NBI and would be subjected to forensic examination to secure possible evidence.

Lawyer Czar Eric Nuqui, head of the NBI-Anti Trafficking Division in Manila, said the suspects were using mobile phones in their cyber pornography operations so law enforcers would have a hard time going after them.

“Instead of using laptops or desktop computers which are apparent, they use mobile phones in cyber pornography operations,” he said.

“That scheme is actually new and is aimed at avoiding possible detection and for security precaution. Perpetrators know they could easily transfer from one location to another, making it hard for investigators to track their location,” he added.

Online racket

Jamie, a mother of a one-year-old boy, started her cyberporn business last year when a foreigner whom she met in an online dating site, asked if she could pose naked and perform lewd acts.

She agreed and was paid P1,000.

Since then, she dealt with at least four other Americans who exploited her in an online pornography racket.

Upon the request of her foreign clients, Jamie asked her 10-year-old niece to pose naked in front of her cellular phone’s webcam.

“They wanted children aged 11 and below. So I tapped my niece. I told her I will give her allowance for school. She agreed,” she said.

Lawyer Augusto Isidoro, NBI Central Visayas assistant director, said they learned about Jaime’s operation from United States’ Department of Homeland Security.

“Some of her (Jamie) clients were already arrested in America. And the Homeland Security were able to trace the source of the pornographic materials recovered from the foreign suspects to Cebu,” he told the Inquirer.

Isidoro said the Department of Homeland Security forwarded all pieces of evidence that include the lewd photos and videos of the victims, to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and then to the NBI central office in Manila.

A poseur customer transacted with Jamie who accepted the request to have her niece perform lewd acts online in exchange for $60.

The money was sent to a money transfer company in Cebu and was received by Jamie.