THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation XI filed trafficking and child abuse charges against an American who was caught in a hotel in Barangay Ma-a with three underaged girls on Thursday afternoon.
NBI XI agent Vicente Essex Minguez confirmed that the charges were filed around 8:45 p.m. on Friday after an investigation revealed the suspect had been harboring four young women, three of whom were minors, since June 20.
The operation stemmed from a tip received by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which prompted surveillance of the suspect and the young women. Upon entering the suspect’s hotel room, NBI agents found him with the women in separate rooms.
While the suspect’s identity remains undisclosed, Minguez revealed that initial findings suggest the suspect was acquainted with at least one of the victims. Investigators examined the suspect’s laptop for further evidence.
The suspect is currently detained at the NBI office, while the rescued minors have been placed under the protective custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI (DSWD XI) for psycho-social intervention. The suspect’s lawyer declined to comment on the case.
The NBI XI is committed to pursuing justice for the victims and ensuring the suspect faces the full extent of the law for his alleged crimes of child trafficking and child abuse.
