QUEZON CITY – In a case that has stunned the nation, a 34-year-old mother from Quezon City was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday after she was found guilty of systematically sexually abusing her own two children and at least three other minors, then filming the acts and uploading the videos to the dark web for profit.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 94 handed down the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua on multiple counts of violation of Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act) and Republic Act 11930 (Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Material Act). The woman, identified only as “Maria” to protect the victims, was also ordered to pay P2.5 million in civil damages and moral damages to each of the five child victims.
Court records revealed that from 2022 to 2024, the accused lured minors aged 6 to 12 years old—including her own son and daughter—into her home under the pretense of playdates and snacks. She then performed sexual acts on them while recording the abuse on her phone. Investigators from the PNP Women and Children Protection Center discovered over 200 video files on her devices, some of which had already been sold on foreign dark-web marketplaces for cryptocurrency.
The breakthrough came in early 2024 when Interpol flagged several videos traced to a Philippine IP address. A joint operation involving the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development led to her arrest in March after a neighbor reported suspicious behavior.
During the trial, the children—now under the care of DSWD—testified via closed-circuit television. Their accounts, corroborated by digital forensics and chat logs with foreign buyers, left the court with no doubt about her guilt. Judge Maria Teresa Cruz described the acts as “among the most depraved forms of child exploitation” she had ever encountered in her 20-year career.
PNP-WCPC chief Brig. Gen. Portia Manalad welcomed the verdict, saying it sends a strong message that “even parents who betray their own flesh and blood will face the full weight of the law.” The five victims are currently undergoing intensive therapy and have been placed in protective custody.
The convicted mother showed no visible emotion as the sentence was read. She has 15 days to file an appeal.