Child abuse charges filed against three Americans

CEBU, Philippines - Police filed charges of violation of the Anti-child Abuse Law against three American nationals arrested late Wednesday allegedly in the company of a minor inside the room of a hotel along Salinas Drive, Lahug.

Perry McNeely, 66, of California, however, also faces charges of rape and violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

His companions, Andre Breeding, 46, who lives in Talamban, Cebu City and Michael Lopez, 44, of barangay Linao, Minglanilla only face charges of violating the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

They were caught allegedly in the company of a 14-year-old girl inside a room of a hotel.

Chief Insp. George Ylanan, head of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the CCPO, added that they will still evaluate what other possible charges they can file against Breeding and Lopez.

The police official said they included a case for rape against McNeely, because according to the minor, she was forced by the suspect to have sex with him last Tuesday night, the first day they met.

The IDMB recovered a digital camera from the suspects.    Ylanan said that the memory card of the camera contained more than 800 images of the minor and other women, some of them in the nude, including some doing sexual acts.

There was also a video of a girl and a man, whose faces could not be clearly seen, having sex. — Niña G. Sumacot/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)