NBI Arrests Suspected Human Trafficker and Child Pornography Producer

Cebu City- Operatives of National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD) have arrested an individual in Cebu City for selling pornographic materials online.

Arrested Subject was identified as ROMILO ROMERO. Subject ROMERO was arrested in an entrapment operation which stemmed from the report received by NBI-AHTRAD from the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking – Cyber-TIP Monitoring Center (DOJ IACAT-NBI CYBERTIP) regarding a certain individual behind a Twitter account @MarkjasonCj who is also using other social media platforms such as Telegram and Facebook to promote and sell self-produced videos of him performing sexual acts to male victims, some of whom are minors.

NBI-AHTRAD and DOJ-IACAT NBI-CYBERTIP conducted cyber surveillance, which confirmed that ROMILO ROMERO, a resident of Bulacao, Cebu City, is the user of the Twitter account @MarkjasonCj who sells child pornographic materials through allowing access to channels containing said materials to paying clients.

Operatives also found out that ROMERO was offering young males to paying customers for meetups in Cebu and cybersex. Armed with a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) issued by RTC of Cebu Branch 11, a team composed of NBI-AHTRAD and NBI-Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO), in coordination with the DOJ-IACAT, IACAT Region VII, DSWD Region VII, and with the support of the NGO partners from the International Justice Mission Region VII, proceeded to Sitio Cabancalan II, Bulacao, Cebu City on July 29, 2022 and successfully arrested ROMILO ROMERO.

Subject was arrested in flagrante delicto offering an individual for sexual intercourse in exchange for a sum of money, and selling child pornographic materials in violation of Section 5(b) of RA 9208 as amended by RA 11862 and RA 9775 otherwise known as “Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 in relation to RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Implementation of the WSSECD likewise resulted in the seizure of digital devices used by Subject ROMERO in committing the illegal acts.

During the operation, one male victim was rescued and taken into custody.