Filipino child sex trafficker has accomplices - PNP 

Arrested pedophile Teddy Mejia has been working with other individuals in his sexual exploitation scheme which involves minors, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday. 

Mejia was presented to the public Thursday after he was caught by the local police in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates under the Red Notice issued by Interpol. 

PNP Women and Children Protection Center director Brigadier General Portia Manalad said that they received last year a tip through their hotline regarding a Telegram account containing nude photos and videos of the victims and the GCash account of the suspect. 

Through an undercover operation, the police found that there were 111 victims. The police said that almost 30 victims have been rescued so far since last year. 

“From June 2023 to February 2024, nagkamayroon tayo ng rescue, naka-rescue tayo ng almost 30 na bata. Doon sa disclosure of abuse, ayun ang ginamit namin  para mag-apply ng warrant of arrest,” said Manalad in a press briefing. “Doon din naman malaman na ito po ay isang large-scale violation o syndicated dahil pito po silang magkakasama dito.” 

(From June 2023 to February 2023, we rescued almost 30 victims during our rescue operations. We used the disclosure of abuse from the victims to file for a warrant of arrest. From there, we found out that this is a large-scale violation or a syndicated scheme because there were seven of them behind this.) 

Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said Mejia was profiling his victims before luring them with money and blackmailing them afterward. 

“Pino-profile niya yung mga bata, yung mga batang loner, mga batang matatalino. Isipin mo mo nine years old, 10, 11, musmos na musmos ‘yan. Pagka-profile niya, iki-clickbait niya, magbibigay siya ng P500, ‘magpadala ka ng litrato,’” he said. 

(He profiles the children, including loners and even smart ones. Just think about it, he has victimized children aged 9 to 11 years old, who are very innocent. After he profiled them, he will bait them with P500 if they send him pictures.) 

“Kapag ayaw na ng bata, tatakutin niya ito. Yung mukha nung bata, lalagyan niya ng fake na nakahubad. So yung bata ngayon papalag," he added.

(If the child is no longer interested, he will threaten them. He will edit the faces of the victims on naked bodies. So this will alarm the victims.) 

But worse, the victims are also forced to engage in sexual intercourse while being recorded on camera and these videos are the ones being sold on Telegram by the suspects. 

Mejia is facing charges of statutory rape, qualified trafficking in persons, and violation of RA 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act.  

PNP chief General Rommel Marbil said that he would propose to Congress a law that would penalize consumers of sexual exploitation content. —LDF, GMA Integrated News