Man held for ‘sextortion’

MANILA, Philippines — A man was arrested in Quezon City on Friday after he allegedly threatened to expose in public the nude photos of a 35-year-old man.

Ian Patrick Bautista, 20, was apprehended in a sting by police in front of a high-end condominium complex in Barangay Bago Bantay at around 11:20 a.m., police said.

The victim recounted that he first met the suspect on a Facebook dating platform on Dec. 16, 2023.

The two agreed to meet in a motel in Quezon City. The victim was unaware that Bautista documented their intimate encounter, which the suspect later used in threatening him.

Bautista allegedly initially demanded P35,000 from the victim, who agreed out of fear the video will be exposed on social media platforms.

However, Bautista kept on demanding more money, which prompted the victim to seek police assistance.

The suspect is facing criminal charges of extortion, grave coercion and violation of Republic Act 11313 or the Space Spaces Act in relation to RA 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Law.