Australian police uncovered sexually graphic content on the phone of a man detained in Sydney, leading to the rescue of 16 children who had been reportedly abused in the Philippines.
The suspect reportedly planned to hire someone in the Philippines to sexually assault children. The police reportedly discovered child abuse materials and texts describing this plot from the man's mobile phone.
Horrifying Discovery Made at Sydney Airport
A joint statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) was made on Wednesday, July 5, stating that the youngsters, aged 10 to 18, were found last month after the PNP executed numerous warrants in the Metro Manila region and a province in the Northern Philippines.
According to Daily Mail, the PNP conducted warrant operations on June 22 and 23 at four sites in Taguig and Nueva Vizcaya, in the northern part of the country, where 16 minors were discovered.
In the statement, the probe was launched in January when the Australian Border Force (ABF) stopped a 56-year-old man from Queensland on his way back to Sydney from the Philippines.
The ABF searched the man's phone and discovered images of child abuse as well as chats in which he discussed his plans to hire a facilitator so that he could sexually harm those children in the Philippines.
The guy faces a maximum of 15 years in jail if found guilty of all three charges against him, which include grooming and possession of child abuse material.
The suspect was supposed to appear in court on May 30 but did not. Therefore a warrant was issued for his arrest.
"This case highlights how vital it is for law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and resources globally because predators are not confined by borders," said Detective Superintendent Andrew Perkins, the AFP's top officer in Manila.
He said, "However, these children's lives have been irrecoverably damaged and we know there are too many other children still at risk."
The youngsters are now in the hands of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development as authorities continue their search for further victims.
Collaboration With Foreign Allies Key Factor
Police Colonel Portia Manalad, head of the Women and Children Protection Center for the PNP, acknowledged that her organization lacked the resources to combat crime on its own.
According to CNN, she emphasized the need to work with foreign partners to bring criminals to justice and save the lives of children who have been victimized by them. "We must collaborate with our international partners, such as the AFP, to arrest offenders and rescue child victims," she stated.
Since the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC), was created in 2019, a total of 611 victims of child abuse have been rescued, and 127 facilitators have been arrested. PICACC is a collaborative effort involving the Philippines, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
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