A man allegedly engaged in sex trafficking of teen-aged girls has been arrested in Lucena City by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The NBI identified him as Jomar Ledda, also known as "Omar," who was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI’s Lucena District Office (NBI-LUCDO) at a motel last Jan 4.
It said that Ledda was arrested after receiving marked money from the NBI's undercover agents.
During the operation, the NBI said that three victims were rescued, one of them a 15-year-old girl.
It said that after the arrest, Ledda was charged with violations of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364, Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, in relation to RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act; and RA 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act.
The NBI said it acted on an intelligence information that “a certain 'Jomar' was allegedly recruiting and influencing female children in Lucena City to engage in sexual intercourse with men for money.”
“NBI-LUCDO conducted surveillance operations, which confirmed that Subject was indeed involved in Human Trafficking and that Subject was offering minor girls, ages 17 and below for P2,000 each girl for sexual services,” the bureau said.
Thereafter, it said NBI's undercover agents posing as clients contacted Ledda who agreed to provide the girls in a meeting in a motel in Lucena City.