Supreme Court Upholds Child Pornography Conviction
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the sentence of reclusion perpetua and a PHP2 million fine against a woman found guilty of child pornography. In a decision penned by Associate Justice Mario Lopez, the Court dismissed the appeal of the accused, Luisa Pineda, upholding her conviction by the regional trial court and affirmed by the Court of Appeals.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pineda violated several sections of the Republic Act (RA) 9775, also known as the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, and RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The Court found that Pineda had coerced her niece into creating nude photos and videos, which she then attempted to sell. The conviction was supported by the victim’s testimony and digital forensic evidence, including multiple explicit images and video clips of the child found on Pineda’s devices. The police were led to Pineda’s residence in 2016 following a tip from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), resulting in the seizure of incriminating evidence and the rescue of three minors.