Court orders arrest of ex-US diplomat

MANILA, Philippines — A Pasay City court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of former United States diplomat Dean Edward Cheves, who allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a minor in the Philippines.

Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said Judge Christian Castañeda of the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 109 ordered the arrest of 61-year-old Cheves, former foreign service officer at the US embassy in Manila.

Cheves is facing charges of violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law and RA 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act.

The court recommended P200,000 bail for each case.

Villar said copies of the arrest warrant were sent to the Manila Police District, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The victim is now a Grade 10 student in Taguig, according to the justice department.

Villar said the PNP offered counseling services to the victim and her mother, but they declined.

Court records showed that the victim met Cheves on social media when she was around 12 years old.

They reportedly went to a motel in Pasay where they stayed for two hours. Without her knowledge, the former US diplomat allegedly recorded their sexual act.

Through the dating site Bumble, Cheves and the girl met again last Feb. 21 in Dasmariñas Village, Makati where she allegedly performed a sexual act on him.

In filing the complaints before the Pasay prosecutor’s office last June, the PNP presented as evidence a cell phone and a SIM card allegedly containing Cheves’ lewd conversations with the victim.

Cheves left the Philippines in March.

He is also facing a case before the US court in Virginia for his conduct in the Philippines.

Villar said they would seek the extradition of Cheves so he could stand trial in the Philippines.