Authorities have rescued two minors from their mother’s custody after she allegedly sold explicit images of them online in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
The victims, aged 13 and 15, were rescued from a residence in Barangay Sta. Rosa, Olango Island, where their 33-year-old mother worked as a baker.
Law enforcement officers from the Lapu-Lapu City Police, Women and Children Protection Center Visayas Field Unit, and other agencies conducted the rescue operation.
The mother was arrested in a police-led undercover entrapment operation backed by a court-issued warrant.
According to Police Lt. Col. Christian Torres, spokesperson for the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, the mother has been formally charged. He added that she attempted to justify her actions by citing financial hardship.
Authorities had been monitoring her activities since July 2023, discovering that she allegedly charged P2,000 per explicit photo of her daughters.
The victims are now under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Central Visayas’ Center for Women and Children, where they are receiving counseling and therapy.
The mother faces charges for violating Republic Act 11862, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.