8 Filipino children were sold into prostitution and were made to have sex with a man and each other for a global online audience. They were rescued on Wednesday in an anti-vice operation by Filipino police.
7 of the children were girls aged between 13 and 17. One of the girls was 18.
The man, 33 year-old Christopher Villanueva, was arrested at his Manila home with another woman, believed to be the mother of 3 of the abused girls. Police also found sex toys, web cameras and laptops containing more evidence of child pornography and criminal activity.
Villanueva allegedly charged customers in the US, UK, Australia and Japan between US$50 (S$67) to US$100 to watch the children having sex, Mr Nuqui said.
According to the head of the National Bureau of Investigation's anti-vice division, Filipino police acted after receiving a tip off from the US Department of Homeland Security. A US undercover agent had convinced Villaneuva that he was willing to pay to have sex with one of the underaged girls for 5,000 pesos (S$150). Villanueva accepted the offer, and said in an online chat "They (the children) will fulfil all your fantasies. Come to the Philippines."