The Department of Justice on May 25 said that reports of online child sexual abuse in the Philippines have increased by over 260 percent during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
According to DOJ, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has recorded around 279,000 reports of child exploitation online from March 1 to May 24—as compared to last year’s 76,561 reports.
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The department said this could be because of the boosted internet usage when the country was placed on heightened restrictions on March 17. Some of the reports, DOJ said, include: possession, manufacture, and distribution of child pornography; online enticement of children for sexual acts; child sex trafficking; sex tourism involving children; extra-familial child sexual molestation; unsolicited obscene material sent to a child; and misleading words or digital images on the internet.
It added, however, that reports need to be further evaluated as some of these may have been duplicate materials, distorted images, or incorrect reports.
ABS-CBN also reported that DOJ has received four complaints of child sexual abuse in various areas in Luzon, while two cases have been filed in Lapu-Lapu City in Visayas. Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC) has also rescued 34 children from sexual abuse, arresting seven suspects.
The report added that the DOJ and the authorities have also warned the administrators of Facebook pages that promote child sexual abuse will face up to more than 17 years in prison, and a fine reaching PHP1 million.
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