ILOILO City – A 24-year-old call center agent was arrested for allegedly demanding sex from a 16-year-old girl in exchange for not posting her nude photos online.
Romeo Timeex Bat-og II was caught yesterday in an entrapment operation staged by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) inside a motel on Burgos Street, La Paz district.
Panay News is withholding the name of the girl from Capiz province to protect her privacy.
According to IPPO chief Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, the victim claimed she received a message from Bat-og – a resident of Barangay Lanit, Jaro district – which claimed he was in possession of her nude pictures.
Bat-og then allegedly demanded the victim to meet him in person in exchange for not uploading her photos online.
“The victim may have posted her nude pictures online. The suspect saw it and saved it on his phone for his personal interest,” Gorero said.
No further information was provided as to how the girl met Bat-og, but police said they could have been friends on social media.
The girl revealed the blackmailing to her parents and they sought Gorero’s help. An entrapment was planned.
“The victim pretended she was willing to meet the suspect in a motel,” Gorero said.
The victim rode a taxi driven by an undercover policeman. They picked up the suspect somewhere in La Paz.
When the girl and Bat-og were already inside the motel room, policeman immediately arrested the suspect.
Recovered from Bat-og’s possession were a laptop, a jelly lubricant, a wallet, and other personal belongings.
The suspect was detained in the lockup cell of the municipal police station. He faces charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9995, or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009; RA 8353, or Anti-Rape Law of 1997; and grave coercion under the Revised Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Gorero reminded parents to always monitor the activities of their children.
“Be watchful of your children so they will not fall victims to lawless elements,” Gorero stressed./PN
