A group of children, some as young as two, have been rescued from an alleged child abuse ring in the Philippines after a tip-off from Australian authorities.
Nine children, aged between two and 16, were saved last week after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) notified the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC).
The children were allegedly being kept in Angeles City, north of Manila, and were being used to produce child abuse material which was live-streamed.
A 42-year-old woman was arrested in the Philippines for her alleged role as the facilitator of online child sexual abuse.
The 2019 arrest of a Victorian man who was allegedly paying for this material ultimately lead to the discovery of these children.
The 61-year-old, from Melbourne, was charged in November 2019 with procuring a child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia.
AFP then referred this to the PICACC, who notified the Philippine National Police, who then conducted the raid.
AFP Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling said the AFP worked with partners across the globe to protect and remove children from these crimes.
“AFP officers who work in child protection go to work every day to help rescue the most vulnerable and bring their perpetrators to justice,” Detective Superintendent Crossling said.
“It is heart-breaking work for officers. But for the AFP, it is about the children we save.
“Whether children are in Australia or overseas, our teams never give up because they know that every day we can’t identify a child is another day they are being abused.”
The AFP Senior Liaison Officer in the Philippines, Detective Superintendent Andrew Perkins, said the arrest “highlights the close working relationships” between international agencies.
Philippine National Police Chief of the Women and Children’s Protection Centre, Brigadier General Alessandro Abella, said: “this investigation emanated from intelligence received by the Australian Federal Police.
“It highlights the cooperation and commitment we share in protecting children and arresting and prosecuting offenders in the Philippines and abroad”.
The matter of the Melbourne man remains before the court in Australia.
