CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Following the conviction of Australian pedophile Peter Gerard Scully for qualified trafficking and sexual abuse of female minors, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office has warned individuals who may have possessed or circulated pornographic photos or videos online, whether related to the case or not, that such acts are punishable by law.
Acting Regional Prosecutor Merlyn Uy said the possession and circulation of pornographic materials, such as those produced by Scully, is “against the law and constitutes a punishable offense under Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.”
A local court has convicted Scully and his Filipino live-in partner Carme Ann Alvarez and meted with life sentence for six counts of qualified trafficking in persons and rape by sexual assault of two minors.
Uy said dozens of cases of child abuse, kidnapping, human trafficking, voyeurism, sexual assault, and murder against Scully and some other personalities are still pending in court.
Just recently, the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) in the region has posted a public notice warning individuals not to own or share the “Daisy’s Destruction” video which reportedly showed a female suspect physically abusing a one-year-old child.
Pursuant to a protection order issued by Judge Jose Escobido of the Regional Trial Court Branch 37 to take down said video from the internet, the PNP-ACG has warned the public against the possession, web hosting, further circulation, and distribution of the video, in its entirety or variations in other forms.
“The possession, web hosting, circulation, distribution, and viewing of the video, its screen captures, still pictures, including memes and GIF (graphic interchange format), and its variations in other form in the internet, primarily through Facebook and other social media networks, are violations of [RA 9775],” the notice stated.
The law enforcement agency said that the pornographic videos produced by Scully are under a “special protection order,” and anyone found to have it possessed it and shared it will face the prospect of prosecution.
For its part, the group Bantay Kaso (Kagay-anons Against Sex Offenders), a network of non-governmental organizations who kept a close watch of the Scully trial, has called on Facebook to strictly enforce the protection order and report any online accounts found to have shared the videos and photos to the authorities.
“While we celebrate the conviction, we should not be complacent; this case should tell us parents, teachers, uncles and aunties, that we are the first line of defense in protecting children from online predators and exploiters; and we must stop people like Peter Scully and his network of customers all over the world,” Bantay Kaso head lawyer Perfecto Mendoza Jr. said.
“This case, not an isolated one, calls for stronger measures and concerted effort for the protection of our children,” said Virgie Demata, executive director of Philippine Islands Kids Foundation, Inc., one of the NGOs that has been monitoring the Scully case.
Department of Social Welfare and Development-10 regional director Nestor Ramos said victims of child abuse, including those victimized by Scully and his cohorts, are currently under the protective care of the government and other civil society organizations, and are undergoing recovery and trauma healing. (PNA)
