Bocas del Toro Panama: Child Pornography Ring Dismantled
Operation in the province exposes how child exploitation networks operated in Panama and reinforces warnings about increasing digital crimes.
Five people were arrested this Tuesday, March 17, in the province of Bocas del Toro, in an operation in which material related to child sexual exploitation was seized. Operation Shield of Childhood, developed by the Public Ministry (MP) and the National Police, uncovered an alleged network dedicated to the distribution of child pornography. In the operation, carried out in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and OUR Rescue, authorities seized 40 pieces of technological equipment, including cell phones, laptops, tablets, compact discs and USB drives, in which a large number of images were stored.
The investigation began after an investigation carried out by officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Police, in which IP addresses related to cases of child pornography were verified. Statistical figures from security agencies reveal that in the last seven years, 127 people have been arrested during 43 operations related to cases of child sexual abuse. In these processes, 64 victims were rescued and 54 convictions were recorded.
This Past July Child Sex Trafficking Ring Dismantled in Chiriquí Province Panama
Operation Trillizas resulted in the arrest of 10 people in Chiriquí and Darién for sexual exploitation. A network dedicated to the sexual exploitation of minors, made up of about 11 people, including a corporal from the National Border Service (Senafront), was dismantled Monday July 24, by the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) and the Public Ministry. A Social Security Fund official and a Ministry of Education official were also arrested, confirmed prosecutor Giselle Acosta. The so-called “Triplets” operation took place in the provinces of Chiriquí and Darién, in which three minors who were allegedly being sexually exploited were located. Prosecutor Acosta explained that the investigation began in December 2022, after the underage girls became pregnant and went to a health center.
The investigation determined that the mother and father of three minors had a role in the crime, so they were placed under the orders of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine their connection to the crime. The operation involved 14 raids in Puerto Armuelles and Río Sereno in the province of Chiriquí. The Senafront official was arrested at the checkpoint located in Las Lajas, Yaviza, in the Darién province.
According to the investigation, the official actively participated in the sex trafficking ring. According to the investigation, the network charged between $40, $50, and $100 for access to the underage girls. It was reported that some of the girls were abused for years. Authorities stated that in addition to the three victims, three more minors were recovered and will be placed under the care of the Secretariat for Children and Adolescents for their protection.
More than 500 Cases of Child Sexual Abuse
The Spanish Catholic Church announced that it has registered more than 500 cases of sexual abuse of minors that occurred within the institution and expressed its willingness to find the “truth,” one day after Congress approved the creation of a commission of inquiry. “The vast majority, 300 of these complaints, are related to events that occurred more than 30 years ago,” he said.
