Suspected child webcam cybersex operator, American David Timothy Deakin, from Peoria, Ill., sits in his living room following his arrest as investigators gather evidence during a raid at his home in Mabalacat, northern Philippines, April 20, 2017. Deakin was this week sentenced to life imprisonment on three counts of human trafficking. - AP
BANGKOK (Reuters): Cases of online child sex abuse in the Philippines have tripled under coronavirus, the government said, with campaigners warning that the country's lockdown has left more children vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers and cash-strapped relatives.
The spread of cheap, high-speed internet and the rise in mobile phone ownership has fuelled livestreamed abuse - known as cybersex trafficking - in recent years and the Philippines is considered by charities to be the epicentre of the global trade.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
