Swedes sentenced to life in prison for Filipino cyber-brothel

[Malthus101]

"...one of the women claimed that she was posing in front of the camera against her will."

Such bullshit.

She was embarrassed and now two stupid (but ultimately pretty innocent) young men face a life in prison.

What a joke of a country.

Off my list too!

[DGIE]

If the accused are powerful people in the Philippines, the trial will take longer and maybe up

to now the 2 may not yet sentenced.

They should have put a videoke bar along the road and then later real sex can happen

And maybe they were not caught for that.

Find a videoke bar there with ladies sitting and displaying themselves outside the bar. Go and drink

even just a bottle of beer. You can invite your chosen lady for a sex. Real sex, not in a screen of a

computer.

[DGIE]

The 20th lady said her doings was against her will. The rest are willing...

[Johnnie99]

I don't have a lot of sympathy.

A couple of sexpats living off immoral earnings in a corrupt third world country.

I am not of the view that the services are necessarily bad in terms of the relationship between the girl and the viewer(s).

But when you stick a couple of pimps in the middle. Guys who are effectively taking advantage of the fact there's a lot of uneducated girls with very low earnings potential and making money off their sexual services - well - I'm all for very stiff sentences.

No different from all those guys in Pattaya getting a bar girl girlfriend, letting her prostitute herself out to westerners and living off the money. They are frowned upon by Thai sexpats but I have a feeling they will be a lot more forgiving of these two.

Are you insane?

"Immoral earnings"?

Don't get lost on your way to the temple buddy.

No--not the same as anything you described. They took hookers who were at risk of disease and who were selling their actual bodies, and gave them jobs sitting in front of a computer screen. Not a bad gig for a prostitute.

Actually it is Pedro who is the more reasonable. It seems that you are condoning the infiltration of Asian countries for sexual exploitation. Maybe on your way to the website you should think also before impugning someone else's morals.

[Maggusoil]

Its got nothing to do with morality.

On the one hand. These guys gave some folks some easy employment. . . and who knows how much easy money they

made themselves and probably side benefits. They found a market, they had buyers and they had sellers.

On the other hand its just seedy. How do you get people to feel sorry for you?

How many people reading these posts would have done that business in a pink fit?

Better not put your hand up.

Foreign country, foreign laws, foreign morés, foreign karma. No thanks.

[Johnnie99]

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

[monkeycountry]

Just out of curiosity, if someone can get convicted and get life in prison in the Phillipines because 1 woman says she was held against her will, supposedly with no evidence except for her word (no mention of any other evidence in the article), then what prevents anyones girlfriend/date from doing the same when she visits ones house, hotel or apartment? Ie. What would you prefer darling, to give me a ton of cash now or life in prison?

[monkeycountry]

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

They were convicted for making a woman pose in front of a camera against her will. Since posing in front of a camera in itself is not illegal, we can deduce that it is the "against her will" part that made the difference. In other words, this is not limited to brothels. Since there seems to be no evidence of her being forced, except for her word, anyone having a female (or male) visitor could potentially risk her going to the police when she leaves claiming you held her or made her do something against her will, and thereby send you to prison for life!

You could of course ask why any woman would do that? Extortion would be a good motive, revenge another!

[happysanook]

I don't have a lot of sympathy.

A couple of sexpats living off immoral earnings in a corrupt third world country.

I am not of the view that the services are necessarily bad in terms of the relationship between the girl and the viewer(s).

But when you stick a couple of pimps in the middle. Guys who are effectively taking advantage of the fact there's a lot of uneducated girls with very low earnings potential and making money off their sexual services - well - I'm all for very stiff sentences.

No different from all those guys in Pattaya getting a bar girl girlfriend, letting her prostitute herself out to westerners and living off the money. They are frowned upon by Thai sexpats but I have a feeling they will be a lot more forgiving of these two.

Are you insane?

"Immoral earnings"?

Don't get lost on your way to the temple buddy.

No--not the same as anything you described. They took hookers who were at risk of disease and who were selling their actual bodies, and gave them jobs sitting in front of a computer screen. Not a bad gig for a prostitute.

Actually it is Pedro who is the more reasonable. It seems that you are condoning the infiltration of Asian countries for sexual exploitation. Maybe on your way to the website you should think also before impugning someone else's morals.

Infiltration ...

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

Man. Lay off the whiskey and get real. Life in prison because one girl claimed she was doing it against her will. They've got you fooled no doubt.

[rosst]

I have never been involved in this sort of stuff as a victim (ugly is a defense) perpertrator (dumb and poor) or a customer (I have an imagination)

I read about this stuff and shake my head, there is something going on in the background that very few people know about. It is possible they were involved in some other nefarious conduct but the cops could not prove it, only speculating and this happened to them.

Possible??

[joboss]

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

They were convicted for making a woman pose in front of a camera against her will. Since posing in front of a camera in itself is not illegal, we can deduce that it is the "against her will" part that made the difference. In other words, this is not limited to brothels. Since there seems to be no evidence of her being forced, except for her word, anyone having a female (or male) visitor could potentially risk her going to the police when she leaves claiming you held her or made her do something against her will, and thereby send you to prison for life!

You could of course ask why any woman would do that? Extortion would be a good motive, revenge another!

It's possible,, but I think they were convicted as "trafficers" Powerfull laws in most countries by International agreement.

[bonobo]

I was in the Philippines when they were arrested. The papers were trumpeting this blow against "trafficking."

They did interviewed on of the "rescued" girls. She was upset that she would now have to go back to be a prostitute to feed her kids. In the cam house that was set up, she worked regular hours, had a clean place to work, did not have to worry about abusive customers, and did not have to worry about catching diseases.

Regardless of the legality in the Philippines, calling the place a "brothel" is really stretching the term. No actual sex takes place. Cam sex is more in line with an interactive movie, like watching 8 1/2 Weeks where you can direct the action.

And once again regardless of the legality, in a place where a convicted contract killer gets 10-15 years, a purveyor of interactive porn gets life?.

[manarak]

wow, this case smells very strong like "fabricated evidence".

Using the claim of one the 20 women claiming she performed against her will to charge and further imprison the swedes is ridiculous.

I hope the Swedes will come free and the ochestrators of this intrigue will find their just punishment.

[monkeycountry]

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

They were convicted for making a woman pose in front of a camera against her will. Since posing in front of a camera in itself is not illegal, we can deduce that it is the "against her will" part that made the difference. In other words, this is not limited to brothels. Since there seems to be no evidence of her being forced, except for her word, anyone having a female (or male) visitor could potentially risk her going to the police when she leaves claiming you held her or made her do something against her will, and thereby send you to prison for life!

You could of course ask why any woman would do that? Extortion would be a good motive, revenge another!

It's possible,, but I think they were convicted as "trafficers" Powerfull laws in most countries by International agreement.

Perhaps, but how much sense does that make if the girls have never even left the Phillipines? :-)

[Berkshire]

If I recall, there was a story on CNN about this. These girls (and we're talking underage girls, like 12-13 yrs old) were asked to do some really nasty (or sick) perverted things in front of the camera. And some of you guys are defending these pervs?

Anyways, I would imagine this incident brought a lot of embarrassment to the Philippine government. Figured heads would roll.

[SGD]

Do we, as foreigners, still think we are above the laws in the countries we visit? Whether or not these humans were liable under the law is irrelevant; one complaint, upheld clearly by the courts, has convicted them.

Yet again I must re-iterate: if you do not like the laws of a country, do not do anything which could lead to being convicted of breaking such a law, or simply stay away.

Operating a brothel, online or otherwise, should surely indicate that a disgruntled member of 'staff' might make claim against the owners. Were these gormless fools too stupid to see that?

You seem to have overlooked the fact that there was no law broken and these men were under the law as you so righteously require them to be. That one lie can have a corrupt legal system enslave them when much evidence to the contrary is available should be your focus, not their sham conviction.

Comments about someone wanting this shut down or to take over it themselves are spot on for this basket case country.

[captspectre]

One out of 20 was there against her own will?

That sounds odd, very odd. If they get 19 girls to work for them legally then it would be no problem to find one more to join the team legally.

But this is Asia and real justice can not be demanded.

never, NDEVER do business in the P.I> with a Philipino! you can't win.

[manarak]

If I recall, there was a story on CNN about this. These girls (and we're talking underage girls, like 12-13 yrs old) were asked to do some really nasty (or sick) perverted things in front of the camera. And some of you guys are defending these pervs?

Anyways, I would imagine this incident brought a lot of embarrassment to the Philippine government. Figured heads would roll.

can you please provide a source confirming the girls were underage? this would change everything of course, but so far I haven't seen any hint about the Swedes employing underage girls.

[Minhoang]

How old are those girls? Saw a documentary about cyber sex in the Philippines and the girls are as young as 10. If so, let those men rot to death in prison and never let them out.

[Globeman]

I don't have a lot of sympathy.

A couple of sexpats living off immoral earnings in a corrupt third world country.

I am not of the view that the services are necessarily bad in terms of the relationship between the girl and the viewer(s).

But when you stick a couple of pimps in the middle. Guys who are effectively taking advantage of the fact there's a lot of uneducated girls with very low earnings potential and making money off their sexual services - well - I'm all for very stiff sentences.

No different from all those guys in Pattaya getting a bar girl girlfriend, letting her prostitute herself out to westerners and living off the money. They are frowned upon by Thai sexpats but I have a feeling they will be a lot more forgiving of these two.

It's not too different either from the wealthier of the world's population - including almost everyone on this forum - who take advantages of the low wages of third world workers to enjoy low-priced consumer goods... Just about everything around you was made by some pitifully paid worker... maybe we should all go to jail.

[Jingthing]

If I recall, there was a story on CNN about this. These girls (and we're talking underage girls, like 12-13 yrs old) were asked to do some really nasty (or sick) perverted things in front of the camera. And some of you guys are defending these pervs?

Anyways, I would imagine this incident brought a lot of embarrassment to the Philippine government. Figured heads would roll.

can you please provide a source confirming the girls were underage? this would change everything of course, but so far I haven't seen any hint about the Swedes employing underage girls.

There is none. It's bizarre that people are tripping about underage when that has NOTHING to do with this particular case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/11/swedes-jailed-philippines-porn_n_860448.html

Justo Yap, National Bureau of Investigation regional director, said 18 women, aged 19 to 24, some of whom were naked and sending live feeds to clients abroad, were rescued after a raid on a premises in April 2009.

Edited July 1, 2013 by Jingthing

[MacWalen]

I am not a law expert but the sentence seems to be too severe. They did not kill anybody.

[Jingthing]

I am not a law expert but the sentence seems to be too severe. They did not kill anybody.

No doubt about it.

[hellodolly]

Looks like someone forgot to "grease the gear" in one of the corruptest and messed-up countries of SEA (not sayin that Thailand is very far off)... My guess is that some "official" liked the business idea and most likely he's running it now all by himself.

Don't really see where there is human trafficking involved and don't believe that any of the "office" girls were doing it against her will or kept as prisoner. Hope the guys get a good lawyer and a fair trial.

Sure there will be some do-gooders and perhaps some feminists logging in now to - in general - bash prostitution, porn and online "services" as oh so bad... I - on the other hand - would like to know how many rapes are prevented daily by offering a "valve" for some lone guys out there who might do something really stupid if such services were'nt offered. Ever thought about that?

Or another way to look at it is

I - on the other hand - would like to know how many rapes are caused daily by offering an "erotic stimulation" for some lone guys out there who might do something really stupid if such services are offered to set him off. Ever thought about that?

I don't have a lot of sympathy.

A couple of sexpats living off immoral earnings in a corrupt third world country.

I am not of the view that the services are necessarily bad in terms of the relationship between the girl and the viewer(s).

But when you stick a couple of pimps in the middle. Guys who are effectively taking advantage of the fact there's a lot of uneducated girls with very low earnings potential and making money off their sexual services - well - I'm all for very stiff sentences.

No different from all those guys in Pattaya getting a bar girl girlfriend, letting her prostitute herself out to westerners and living off the money. They are frowned upon by Thai sexpats but I have a feeling they will be a lot more forgiving of these two.

Are you insane?

"Immoral earnings"?

Don't get lost on your way to the temple buddy.

No--not the same as anything you described. They took hookers who were at risk of disease and who were selling their actual bodies, and gave them jobs sitting in front of a computer screen. Not a bad gig for a prostitute.

If kids under ten are watching it would you consider it Moral?

Don't sell kids short. They know there way around the cyber world and have friends who can provide them with credit cards.

What makes you think they are physical hookers?

Can you cut and paste that part I am not getting it on my screen.

My screen is a HP maybe that is why what kind of screen do you have.

[hellodolly]

If I recall, there was a story on CNN about this. These girls (and we're talking underage girls, like 12-13 yrs old) were asked to do some really nasty (or sick) perverted things in front of the camera. And some of you guys are defending these pervs?

Anyways, I would imagine this incident brought a lot of embarrassment to the Philippine government. Figured heads would roll.

can you please provide a source confirming the girls were underage? this would change everything of course, but so far I haven't seen any hint about the Swedes employing underage girls.

There is none. It's bizarre that people are tripping about underage when that has NOTHING to do with this particular case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/11/swedes-jailed-philippines-porn_n_860448.html

Justo Yap, National Bureau of Investigation regional director, said 18 women, aged 19 to 24, some of whom were naked and sending live feeds to clients abroad, were rescued after a raid on a premises in April 2009.

Not sure if they were rescued or just had to change jobs.

[bigbamboo]

What would that be in Thailand....... a 2000 baht fine and a two year sentence, suspended for helping the police (with their enquiries).

[Baerboxer]

I was in the Philippines when they were arrested. The papers were trumpeting this blow against "trafficking."

They did interviewed on of the "rescued" girls. She was upset that she would now have to go back to be a prostitute to feed her kids. In the cam house that was set up, she worked regular hours, had a clean place to work, did not have to worry about abusive customers, and did not have to worry about catching diseases.

Regardless of the legality in the Philippines, calling the place a "brothel" is really stretching the term. No actual sex takes place. Cam sex is more in line with an interactive movie, like watching 8 1/2 Weeks where you can direct the action.

And once again regardless of the legality, in a place where a convicted contract killer gets 10-15 years, a purveyor of interactive porn gets life?.

I was in the Philipinnes at that time too. If I remember correctly the Swedes provided the IT knowledge whilst the Pinays recruited the "models". There was no suggestion of underage girls or actual sexual services being sold, purely an adult webcam site.

At that time, this was big business in the Philipinnes with many Filipinos (male and female) setting up studios and linking into American and European websites. (A bit like an outsourced call centre). There were many complaints of scams - American guys in particular being duped into sending money after listening to sob stories or with promises to meet and holiday with them. Western Union even posted a warning on its website because so many people sent money, realised it was a scam and complained; and of course couldn't get the money back.

Many of the girls were recurited from the poor provinces, lowly educated and with children or family to support. There were reports that a lot of them were duped into believing they "would earn good salaries" and moved to take the work offer up. They only found out the nature of the work when they got there. By then, they'd borrowed money from their employer to finance travelling, set up accomodation etc. They had little option but to do the work. Quotas and other rules were often appied so the girls saw very little actual salary and had to borrow more. The debt grew and then they were leaveraged to work in the "bars" which their employer also just happened to own.

I believe the Philippine government outlawed adult web cams sometime last year. Any that continue would therefore be illegal.

It's difficult to know whether the Swedes' case started this investigation, or was caught up in it's early days. Certainly, some girls were exploited and some probably made money. High unemployment, poverty, high levels of corruption etc etc and this becomes a familiar tale. However, there is a degree of hypocracy when Angeles City, and other red light areas are allowed to flourish and the one particular operation feels the full wrath of the law.

[zappalot]

Not sure if they were rescued or just had to change jobs.

Most probably the employer only changed...

[bangkokheat]

Another 3rd world scam with expat novices as the scapegoats... to be sure... there is more to this story than meets the eye, more than likely their 3 local "partners" cooked it up so they could take over the business under some local mafia dude's wing... its a theory only...

bloody good theory, the swedes just happen to arrive the same day the others got arrested, you can bet your left testi it was a set up

[manarak]

Another 3rd world scam with expat novices as the scapegoats... to be sure... there is more to this story than meets the eye, more than likely their 3 local "partners" cooked it up so they could take over the business under some local mafia dude's wing... its a theory only...

bloody good theory, the swedes just happen to arrive the same day the others got arrested, you can bet your left testi it was a set up

that's the way I see it too