SEVEN Filipino seafarers have been arrested in the United States in the past six months on child pornography charges, the Philippine Embassy in Washington said.
The embassy said the seven, who were arrested in Florida, were working in cruise ships and have been charged and detained for “possession and transportation of child pornography.”
The embassy did not provide the names of the seven but a report in the Miami Herald and local television station NBC6 South Florida said among those detained for alleged possession of child pornography materials are Disney Cruise Line workers Amiel Joseph Trazo, Tirso Neri and Alvin Gonzales.
The 44-year old Neri was arrested last month by the US Marshals Service and booked into the Broward County Jail after he was allegedly found in possession of child pornography photos and videos on two mobile devices.
Trazo was arrested in January when a border check by immigration authorities was conducted and alleged child pornography material was discovered in his possession.
Gonzales, meanwhile, was arrested after the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force said it found child pornography materials on his mobile devices after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The embassy urged manning agencies to help address the use of child pornography among cruise ship workers.
“The Philippines is a strong advocate against online sexual exploitation of children. Our seafarers must be informed about the perils of child pornography, which is considered one of the worst forms of child exploitation and to consume it perpetuates such exploitation child exploitation and to consume it perpetuates such exploitation,” said Labor Attaché Saul De Vries after a May 15 meeting with representatives of manning agencies that deploy Filipino seafarers.
De Vries warned of severe consequences for anyone who violates US laws regarding the production or promotion of child pornography.
“US federal and state laws criminalize the production or promotion of child pornography.
Individuals caught possessing, viewing, transporting and distributing child pornography will be prosecuted and penalized,” De Vries added.
He urged manning agencies to warn their seafarers against downloading, possessing, viewing, transporting, distributing and selling child pornography, as well as subscribing to child pornography sites.
“The world highly values and appreciates our seafarers. They remain to be the most sought ship crew in the world because of their work dedication, excellent skills and dependability.
We do not want the careers they worked hard to build and the sacrifices they endured for their families to go to waste because of an infraction with the law. Those involved in cases are few and certainly do not represent the character of a Filipino mariner,” he said.
De Vries said the manning agencies apprised of the problem agreed to strengthen their pre-departure orientation seminars by incorporating modules dealing with child pornography and related subjects and to boost their legal aid to arrested seafarers to ensure that their rights are protected during the investigation.
