Online child sex abuse cases triple in the Philippines, as lockdown fuels cybersex trafficking

Fast, cheap internet and increased mobile phone ownership have led to more live-streamed abuse, and the coronavirus lockdown made it worse

More than half of those arrested for online child sex abuse were parents, relatives or family friends

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Officials say cybersex trafficking has worsened under lockdown in the Philippine capital, Manila, as families have struggled to earn a living while children have been out of school and spending more time online. Photo: Handout

Published: 12:45pm, 30 May 2020Updated: 9:20pm, 30 May 2020

Cases of online child sex abuse in the Philippines have tripled under coronavirus, the government said, with campaigners warning that the country’s lockdown has left more children vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers and cash-strapped relatives.

The spread of cheap, high-speed internet and the rise in mobile phone ownership has fuelled live-streamed abuse – known as cybersex trafficking – in recent years and the Philippines is considered by charities to be the epicentre of the global trade.

Officials and activists said the problem has worsened under lockdown in the capital, Manila – one of the world’s longest at 11 weeks – as families have struggled to earn a living while children have been out of school and spending more time online.

A police officer questions a delivery service worker at a checkpoint in Caloocan City, Metro Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE

The Southeast Asian nation has recorded about 15,580 cases of coronavirus and 921 deaths since the outbreak hit in January.

“Now that people are required to stay at home, many suffer from a loss of income from the shutdown,” said Emmeline Villar, an undersecretary at the Department of Justice (DoJ). “(This) makes it more likely that the traffickers will engage in abusive behaviour.”