Woman nabbed for trafficking underage daughter in Pasig

MANILA, Philippines – A woman was arrested in a joint-operation in Pasig City on Thursday for allegedly pimping her 15-year-old daughter to a foreigner online.

The authorities only identified the suspect and her daughter through their first names, Jean and Lalaine, for the minor’s social protection.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD) and the Department of Justice-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) jointly carried out the operation, together with personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

They were armed with a search warrant against the mother when they raided her house in Barangay Napico, Manggahan, Pasig City at 7 a.m. on Thursday.

The operation stemmed from the report of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US-based non-profit organization which helps identify and rescue victims of child pornography and child sexual exploitation around the world, including the Philippines.

Based on the report received by the DOJ-OOC, Calvin Bernhardt, a resident of North Dakota persuaded Lalaine to produce and send explicit photos of herself via private messages.

The sex offender, earlier arrested by the US authorities for child exploitation, was later on discovered to be sending money to the victim’s mother in exchange for her daughter's photos.

The mother will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 in relation to RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The victim, meanwhile, is now under the custody of the DSWD.