A 36-YEAR-OLD male online seller accused of “sextortion” was arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) in an entrapment operation inside a hotel in Angeles City in Pampanga, PNP-ACG Director Brigadier General Joel B. Doria said on Thursday.

The suspect, a resident of Sapa Libutad in Angeles City, was apprehended following a complaint from his ex-girlfriend, who claimed that the former was “forcing” her to have sex with him or he will upload their past “sex video” if she will reject his demand, the official said.

Around 10:30 p.m. of Thursday last week, undercover PNP-ACG operatives arrested the suspect in a sting inside a hotel in Don Bonifacio Street in Bgy. Pulong Maragul in Angeles City, the PNP-ACG director said.

Before the entrapment operation, the suspect’s former girlfriend went to the PNP-ACG to file a complaint against the suspect and his effort to “blackmail” her into having sex with him anew.

It turned out that last December 28, the accused started threatening the complainant that he will expose their sex video if she won’t agree to meet him up so that they can have sex.

The suspect also reportedly demanded money from the complainant in exchange for the deletion of the supposed sex video in his possession.

After thoroughly evaluating the complaint, a team of plainclothes officers conducted the entrapment operation, which led to the arrest of the accused, said another PNP-ACG official, Col. Alberto Garcia.

The arrested suspect is now facing criminal charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009; RA 9262 or The Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act and grave coercion, all in relation to RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

He is now being held in an Angeles City police lock-up facility.

“Once again, the PNP-ACG would like to remind everyone to avoid taking photos and videos of their private moments with their partner. If this falls into the wrong hands, there will be repercussions,” said Doria.

Sextortion is a serious crime that occurs when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

In the country, the PNP-ACG has recorded a number of “sextortion cases” in which suspects who had in their possession sex videos or photos of their targets-in many incidents their former partners—and threatened to spread them on social media if their ex-partners won’t heed their demand for sex and money.

There were also cases in which online sex fiends have befriended their male or female victims by using a fake identity and then persuading them to perform sexual acts in front of their webcam, often by using the image of an attractive woman or man to entice their targets to participate.

Once they have recorded the sex video, they will use it to extort money from the victims. In one particular case, a young man from the United Kingdom was said to have taken his own life after being victimized by a “sextortion gang” in The Philippines.