Report Exploitation
Justice System
Filipino survivor's testimony leads to French sex offender's conviction
A 14-year-old Filipino survivor of livestreamed child sexual exploitation testified against a French sex offender, leading to his conviction on May 5, 2022. The French national travelled to the Philippines to sexually abuse her in person and also livestreamed her abuse on the dark web.
Mon May 16 20223 min read

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – A 14-year-old Filipino survivor of livestreamed child sexual exploitation testified against a French sex offender, leading to his conviction on 5 May, 2022. The French national had travelled to the Philippines to sexually abuse her in person and also livestreamed her abuse on the dark web.

On May 3, two days before a French court sentenced the offender, who goes by the name Jordy59, to 15 years of imprisonment, Jennifer* (not her real name) gave her testimony through videoconferencing from the French Embassy in Makati City.

The Philippine National Police -- Women and Children Protection Center (PNP WCPC) coordinated with the French authorities and the Department of Justice -- Office of the Chief State Counsel for the survivor's testimony to happen. Jennifer* traveled roughly 300 kilometers from Aurora Province to Makati City, accompanied by her mother and female officers from the WCPC.

Police Col. Maria Sheila Portento, Chief of the WCPC -- Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, commented on the case:

"The conviction of a French offender, who abused a Filippino minor both online and in-person, is a perfect example of how global coordination can bring victims of exploitation to safety and their perpetrators to justice. May this be another warning to criminals and would-be perpetrators that wherever they may be, once they abuse and exploit children, they will not get away with it. Philippine authorities are committed to doing our part in ending this vile global crime of child abuse and exploitation."

IJM Manila's Head of Prosecution Development, Atty. Kathleen Piccio-Labay, who served as Jennifer's* legal counsel, shared:

Jennifer* made a strong impression on the French prosecutors, judge, ambassador, and staff at the embassy. They were all moved deeply by her story. The online sexual exploitation of children transcends national boundaries. Therefore, combatting this crime type requires cross-border cooperation. This conviction shows that when law enforcement and judiciary between countries work together, justice is unstoppable.

A French news report described the French offender to be a 51-year-old restaurateur who sexually abused a young girl in the Philippines between 2015 and 2017, and then shared the videos on the internet.

On July 27, 2018, the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court in the Philippines also convicted the Filipino trafficker, Jennifer's* own uncle, who facilitated for the French offender's abuse and exploitation of her in person. He made first contact with the French offender on the dark web, and from there arranged for the latter's in-person abuse of Jennifer*.

The local perpetrator, who happened to be a public-school teacher, was sentenced to life imprisonment for Qualified Trafficking. It was the fastest conviction in a full trial for a case of online sexual exploitation of children, with the conviction achieved only four months after the suspect's arraignment. Operatives from the PNP WCPC arrested the local perpetrator on September 27, 2017, following referrals from the Australian Federal Police and French authorities.

*A psuedonym

Read More
PSN
Scaling Through Partnerships

Tech giants PLDT and Smart remain staunch leaders against OSAEC in the Philippines

PLDT and Smart’s continued partnership with IJM underscores their keen commitment to safeguarding Filipino children in the digital space.
Thu Apr 24 2025
PSN
Insights

Building Safer Technologies for Children: Safety By Design For All

Safety-by-design approaches are urgently needed to protect children against the threats of OSAEC.
Mon Apr 14 2025
PSN
Survivor Leadership

Survivor Leader Invited to Testify at Senate Hearing

The Senate Hearing was called by Senator Risa Hontiveros to investigate OSAEC in the Philippines, and the prol...
Mon Apr 07 2025
PSN
Justice System

2 Traffickers Convicted in Mindanao for Online Sexual Exploitation of Children

Arrested last year for sexually abusing minors in exchange for money from online sex offenders, a man and a wo...
Thu Apr 03 2025
PSN
Scaling Through Partnerships

Freedom: The Manila Prayer Gathering 2025

Celebrating answered prayers and praying expectantly for greater success in the fight against OSAEC in the year to come
Thu Mar 20 2025
PSN
Justice System

Courts convict notorious online sex trafficker arrested after tip-off by concerned citizen on Facebook

Three courts in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija convicted a man who was arrested by authorities...
Wed Mar 19 2025
PSN
Justice System

IJM and the Supreme Court Host the Second Judicial Congress

A two-day townhall meeting among judges, lawyers, advocates of child protection, and survivors of online sexu...
Tue Mar 04 2025
PSN
Justice System

Justice Without Delay: Government Agencies Join Forces to Streamline the Legal Process in Trafficking Cases

The work of the IACAT-OPG-OSG Legal Task Force expedites the journey toward justice for OSAEC and TIP survivors and casework teams nationwide.
Thu Feb 27 2025
PSN
Justice System

Trafficker Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Online Sexual Exploitation of Children

A 27-year-old trafficker will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of offering to live...
Wed Feb 26 2025
Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter. Submitting your email means you agree to our privacy policy.
Sign Up
View recent issues here.
© 1997 - 2025 International Justice Mission