WHO exec slapped child abuse, trafficking charges
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Trafficking and child abuse charges have been filed against an Australian employed by the World Health Organization, who was caught by police molesting a 12-year-old boy inside his parked car at the Rockwell Condominium in Makati City.
Trafficking and child abuse charges have been filed against an Australian employed by the World Health Organization, who was caught by police molesting a 12-year-old boy inside his parked car at the Rockwell Condominium in Makati City.
Prosecutor II Benjamin Vermug Jr. set yesterday a case under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act against 47-year-old Marcus Hodge, WHO program development and operations officer in Manila.
Also indicted for the same criminal offenses was Hodge's alleged Filipino pimp Wilson Culling, who allegedly brought young boys he had recruited in Pasay City.
Vermug said "there is probable cause to warrant the indictment of the respondents," who have been detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Camp Crame in Quezon City since their arrest on Friday.
Inquested on Saturday, Hodge and Culling were assisted by lawyer Edwin Oliva of the Public Attorney's Office.
In filing the charges, Vermug said Hodge "bought or=2 0engaged the services of a trafficked person for prostitution—in reference to the 12-year-old he was caught molesting—and that he committed "the act of sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct with [the victim] who appears to be a child exploited in prostitution or subjected to other sexual abuse."
In Culling's case, he recruited the minor for the purpose of prostitution and that "for money or profit influenced" the minor who is "deemed to be a child exploited in prostitution and other sexual abuse to indulge in sexual intercourse of lascivious act."
Vermug set preliminary investigation for May 21 and 26 on the boy's sworn affidavit wherein he claimed he had oral and anal sex with Hodge.
The boy told police that Culling was a neighbor in Malibay, Pasay and that Hodge was introduced to him as "Daddy," sometime in April through Culling and a certain gay "Paloma."
He said during their first meeting, "Daddy" and "Paloma" had sex in front of him and Culling inside the Australian's car at the Rockwell condominium parking lot.
The boy again met "Daddy" on May 7 when he was made to do sex with Hodge on Culling's instruction. He received P300 from Hodge.
The following day, he again had sex with Hodge inside his car=2 0but this time, the police caught up with them. Ferdinand Fabella
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