World Touch
PHILIPPINES: Child Sexual Exploitation Amid The Pandemic
A religious congregation of nuns in the Philippines has called on the public to be more vigilant against online sex exploitation of children amid the coronavirus pandemic. The nuns said that while the pandemic has increased people’s yearning to feel connected through technology, there are those who use this to harm others.
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Aug 2020The religious group warned that the number of unreported cases of online sex exploitation of children, or OSEC, have become “more frightening.” A study done by non-government group International Justice Mission (IJM) noted that the prevalence rate of internet-based child sexual exploitation in the country more than tripled in the past three years. The study shows that the estimated number of IP addresses in the Philippines used for child sexual exploitation each year rose to 81,723 in 2017 from about 23,333 in 2014.