Girl, 6, saved in Philippines: alleged abusers charged following international investigation
Victorian and Dutch Police were the first to sound the alarm after discovering “horrific child abuse material” online, leading to a joint multinational investigation to rescue the six-year-old victim.
Footage has been released showing the moment an alleged paedophile was arrested in a fast food restaurant in the Philippines, allowing authorities to rescue a six-year-old girl who had been subject to a multinational seven-month search.
Police arrested the 37-year-old woman, the alleged abuser, in Manila on Sunday following a coordinated international police investigation into “horrific child abuse material” being shared on a dark web forum.
The material was first discovered by Victoria Police and Netherlands Police in early 2022, with authorities discerning the footage didn’t match any of the existing material known to police, kept on an international database.
Police ascertained the person selling the videos was also creating them, and identified the producer of the material had access to a young girl in the Philippines where the abuse was occurring.
A joint effort involving VicPol, NP, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) led to the arrest of a suspect at his home in Manila.
On November 11, 2022 the boyfriend of the 37-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man, was arrested for similar allegations. Police seized multiple electronic devices but found no children at the property.
Urgent investigations continued to locate and ensure the safety of the six-year-old girl.
Recently, VicPol found child abuse material for sale on a separate dark web site that allegedly involved the same victim.
A covert online operation was undertaken by AFP and PNP officers to engage with the suspected vendor, resulting in the rescue of the child and the arrest of the woman on June 18.
Police have confirmed they will examine the seized items to identify individuals who purchased the child abuse material, while the six-year-old is now in the care of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development.
PNP Women and Children Protection Centre Police Colonel Portia Manalad said authorities remained determined to find all children subjected to such “horrific” crimes.
“The trauma they have gone through is more than we can see and hear but we will be their protectors,” she said.
“The arrest of a woman and man, who we allege were involved in the violent sexual abuse of a child and produced material that they sold to other offenders on the dark web, was the result of a co-ordinated international law enforcement effort.”
The woman has been charged with one count of committing acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation, or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development.
It is expected she will be charged with further offences.
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The man arrested in November has been charged with five counts of separate offences under the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act.
These include one count of producing, directing, manufacturing, creating or facilitating the streaming or live streaming of child sexual exploitation, among other similar offences.
Since 2019 the AFP has directly assisted the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center in the rescue of 202 victims internationally and the arrest of 49 alleged offenders.
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