No bail for Danish, ‘pimp’ who recruited minor girls

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor has recommended no bail against a Danish national and a Filipina accused of recruiting minor girls reportedly for sexual exploitation.

Prosecutor II Van Russell Inopiquez held Danish national Nicola Jakobsen and Alona Turtosa for trial after finding probable cause for their alleged violation of Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

In an inquest proceeding, both accused chose not to file counter-affidavit to negate the allegations filed against them. Instead, they manifested to face the charges in court.

On January 19, 2015, operatives of Mandaue City Police Office received information from a 12-year old girl, a resident of Liloan town that sometime in December 2014 at the vicinity of Cebu International Convention Center, she and her female friends were approached by Turtosa who befriended them.

The police said the kids were asked to fall in line. Turtosa then asked two minor girls aged 12 to go with them to the place of Jakobsen.

They were allegedly assured that nothing will happen to them and that they would be given P10,000.

Turtosa and the two victims rode motorcycle driven by Jakobsen from CICC to Barangay Tisa, Cebu City where the apartment of Jakobsen is located.

The police alleged Jakobsen sexually abused the victims at his apartment. The two victims were given money by Jakobsen and one of the victims was also given a new cellular phone, police added.

The police said after the incident, the victims were followed by Turtosa and the latter reportedly asked her share from the money given by Jakobsen. Both girls gave her P500.

On January 19, 2015 at around 10 a.m., while the victims were at a gasoline station in Mandaue City eating ice cream, the police said one of the victims said they would go to the mall because Turtosa was there waiting for them.

A 12-year-old girl said she learned that Turtosa told a 10-year-old girl to inform her older sister, another 12 years old, to follow them at Jakobsen’s place in Tisa.

The 10-year-old girl told the 12-year-old girl that she would not go anymore to Jakobsen’s place and that they would like to meet Turtosa at the mall to personally tell this to her.

However, Turtosa allegedly forced the 10-year-old girl to go with her. The sister of the 10-year-old girl went to Tisa in the afternoon to fetch her. 

In an affidavit, the 12-year-old girl said after they went to the apartment of Jakobsen and she was given a cell phone, numerous times they went to the apartment of Jakobsen.

On January 19, 2015, she did not go to the apartment of Jakobsen. On the same day, she together with a certain Ann, reported the incident to the police leading to the rescue of the siblings, ages 12 and 10. (FREEMAN)