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BACOLOD CITY—The incidence of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) in this city has reached “alarming levels,” with authorities rescuing 10 minors over the past two months and intensifying a manhunt for the alleged mastermind behind the operations, a city official said Thursday.
Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga, head of the Bacolod City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), said a study by the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global human rights organization that combats violence, slavery, and exploitation, identified Bacolod as one of the country’s hotspots for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
From June to July, the DSSD and the Bacolod City Police Office rescued 10 minors, aged 12 to 17, from various barangays in the city. Nine of the victims were female, while one was male.
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