Alleged Pinoy pedophile arrested

MANILA, Philippines — An alleged Filipino pedophile who reportedly sexually abused 111 female victims was deported to the Philippines yesterday following his arrest in Dubai.

Teddy Mejia has standing arrest warrants for distributing child sexual abuse materials, trafficking, cybercrime and rape.

“We will make sure he rots in jail,” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said yesterday at a press briefing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Almost 30 children said to be victims of Mejia’s sex trafficking ring have been rescued since June 2023.

An Interpol red notice approved in April served as the basis for Mejia’s arrest.

Authorities said Mejia operated a public channel offering nude photos of children, including “premium” content.

Mejia allegedly profiled vulnerable children and gave them P500 in exchange for their pictures.

He edited the photos to include sexual content and blackmailed the minors into meeting him before allegedly raping them.

The Philippines’ capability to probe the dark web is limited, according to Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil.

“We have an agreement with the United Arab Emirates, in which they will build our own internet capabilities and application to look into the dark web and exploit those who use it,” Marbil said. – Rudy santos