Tacloban City—A Calbayog City regional trial court has sentenced a 33-year-old mother to 15 years imprisonment after offering to stream live online the abuse of her young daughter.
The mother, who was arrested last year, was sentenced to an additional one month jail term after she pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography materials.
As part of a plea bargain, the suspect was meted out the sentence after confessing to the crime.
“I was hurt when you took pictures of me naked. I felt guilty because I got separated from you for what happened,” the child told her mother in the vernacular during a reconciliatory meeting facilitated by a social worker and a local church pastor.
“Forgive me for what I’ve done to you. I am ashamed of it. I hope you can forgive me, and we can be together again,” the mother said.
The convicted child trafficker was also ordered to pay combined fines totaling P775,000.
She was originally charged with qualified trafficking in persons, which bears the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of not less than P2 million, according to the civil society group International Justice Mission.
IJM, which partners with local authorities to rescue victims of violence, said: “This conviction through plea bargaining affirms that in holding Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) perpetrators accountable, child protection should always be prioritized.”
Sta. Margarita Mayor Gemma Zosa also welcomed the conviction, saying “child trafficking is a crime that exploits girls and boys for numerous purposes including forced labor and sex.”
“As the local chief executive of the Municipality of Sta. Margarita, it is our aim to protect children from being abused, and to rehabilitate survivors, and help them in rebuilding their lives. On behalf of the Municipality of Sta. Margarita, we would like to extend our gratitude to those authorities and non-governmental organizations who combat child trafficking and give justice for the children,” the mayor added.