AN American national was nabbed by the National Bureau of Investigation – Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-SEMRO) for child trafficking.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said that four victims were also rescued during the operation conducted recently in a hotel in Davao City.
The suspect identified as Charles Franklin Armstrong was charged with violation of R.A. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons act of 2003) in relation to R.A. 10176 (Child Abuse Law) and is now in the custody of the NBI-SEMRO.
Santiago said the NBI conducted its operation after receiving information that the suspect, while being a guest in a hotel in Davao, was seen taking pictures of minor girls while wearing sexy swimsuits, in the swimming pool of the said hotel.
A surveillance operation was conducted by the NBI where two agents from the NBI-SEMRO posed as hotel guests.
This was when the NBI confirmed that one of the victims is a minor while another victim claimed she met the suspect in March 2024 through a dating application, until they got hooked with each other.
The suspect then came to the Philippine for a vacation and meet his lgirlfriend’s family.
Despite this, it turned out that the suspect was also courting another minor girl from among those rescued by the NBI.
Owing to these, the NBI on June 27,2024, conducted an entrapment and rescue operation which resulted in the suspect’s arrest.
The victims meanwhile, were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare Region 11.
