Singaporean admits to organizing sex tours in PH, other countries

MANILA, Philippines – Chan Chun Hong, a 31-year-old Singaporean man has been convicted of organized sex tours in Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

The Straits Times reports that Hong pleaded guilty on February 6 on counts of “transmitting obscene materials by electronic means, 3 counts of distributing information to promote commercial sex, and one count of having obscene films.” 

The arrest came after the United States’ Federal Bureau of Invesigation (FBI) tipped off Singaporean authorities about Hong. He was arrested on March 1, 2014. 

According to the same report, Hong visited a “Mike Timothy” in 2012 to “photograph young girls in sexy outfits” in the Philippines. The number of victims was undertermined.

The sexual exploitation of women and children persists in the Philippines. In 2014, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it handled over 150 cases of web child trafficking from 2010 to 2013. (READ: DSWD: Protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation)  

The issue was highted last January during the visit of Pope Francis to the country, when a 12-year-old girl – who was living on the streets and had been prostituted – broke down in front of Pope Francis and asked him “why does God allow this [prostitution] to happen?” (READ: Girl breaks down before Pope)

The Straits’ Times reports that the prosecution is seeking a sentence of at least 6 years for Hong. – Rappler.com