Campaign Against Human Rights Abuses
Some Examples of Child Sex Abusers Which PREDA Helped Bring To Justice:
Below are some examples of the cases that were taken on by PREDA. Although
PREDA is directly involved with more than 50 cases these few are representative
and illustrate the problem.
A. THOMAS PEIFER (1996)
Thomas Peifer was a former US Navy personnel who was wanted in Pennsylvania for nine (9) counts of child sexual molestation.
Peifer escaped and hid in Olongapo City known as 'Paedophile Paradise' because of the tolerance of the practice by the authorities. The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation asked for PREDA's assistance in tracking him down and he was apprehended last month at West Bajac-Bajac, Olongapo City.
When caught, Peifer had no visa nor passport and the only paper he carried was a Working Permit issued by the Subic Free Port. Peifer worked at the Children's Petting Zoo in the Subic Free Port. He was returned to the U.S. for trial.
B. VICTOR KEITH FITZGERALD (1993)
Victor Keith Fitzgerald, an Australian national, was convicted and sentenced to 8 to 17 years imprisonment for the sexual molestation of a minor.
Fitzgerald moored his yacht inside the Subic Free Port and brought children inside the Subic Free Port aboard his yacht and sexually abused them.
However one day he moored on the small cove of Nagbaculao below the Preda Center where there was a small cluster of huts of poor fisher folk. He befriended them and took several of their children on board his yacht. He gave them gifts and money.
In January 1993 Preda investigators using a video zoom lens and binoculars confirmed that he was violating the law by having the children in a secluded place forbidden by the Child Protection Law Republic Act 7610. They arranged with the National Police to arrest and charge him.
During the two year litigation of the case against Fitzgerald, Subic Free Port authorities testified in his defense. Never-the-less he was found guilty and is still facing other charges of child sexual molestation.
C. BRETT TYLER (1995)
|
Brett Tyler, a British national, was wanted in the UK for the sexual abuse
and murder of a nine (9) year old boy. Tyler escaped to Olongapo City and
stayed for 5 years.
Following a request for help from the British Metropolitan Police, through the Australian Federal Police in Manila, Preda tracked him down which resulted in his arrest. He was brought back to the UK for prosecution and eventual conviction of 3 life terms. When apprehended, Tyler was sponsoring children for school in scholarship grants and posing as a religious pastor, conducting religious rites for children under the very noses of the local authorities. |
Two young children were taken into care from his house after he was arrested.
D. JAMES WILLIAM KUNS (1994)
James Kuns was a former Subic Free Port guard who sexually abused a 3 year old girl. PREDA assisted in the prosecution of the case against him and Kuns went in hiding.
PREDA investigators picked up information that he was working inside the Subic Free Port and protected by his former security buddies. The National Police are forbidden by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority from carrying out any investigation or arrest inside the Free Port without informing the SBMA security. Kuns had a powerful protector.
|
However, Preda investigators devised a ploy to lure Kuns out of his hiding.
They sent a letter to a relative informing Kuns that he was to receive money
from a friend who was arriving from the United States. He was to meet him
at a certain restaurant in Olongapo and bring the enclosed copy of the National
Geographic.
He took the bait and PREDA Investigators drove up with two National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) police armed with an arrest warrant. He is now in Jail and standing trial. |
E. ROSARIO BALUYOT (1986)
Rosario Baluyot was a minor who died when a foreign paedophile inserted a vibrator into her vagina. A piece was broken off and lodged inside.
She died a very painful death as a result before the case came to the attention of PREDA. PREDA started it's own investigation that led to the involvement of a US Navy investigator.
He with local police found an Austrian, Stefen Ritter who denied all the charges and claimed he was being set up to deflect the public anger away from the possible US serviceman who abused the child. He was charged and tried.
During the litigation, his lawyers were those of the City Mayor later appointed to government office. They were caught bribing the grandmother of the victim to withdraw from pursuing the case.
However, PREDA and Prosecutor Floresta went ahead and the grandmother admitted in court that she was paid by the Defense lawyers to desist.
The paedophile was convicted but was overturned on appeal on a technicality.
F. ALPENBLICK BAR (1996)
Alpenblick bar was raided at the behest of PREDA when reports of child prostitution was going on inside the bar. A 15 year old girl was found to be working there issued with a Mayor's permit signed by Mayor Katherine Gordon.
G. DANIEL J. DOUGHERTY, Jr. (1982)
Daniel Dougherty was an American serviceman who was found guilty of sexually abusing 18 children from Olongapo City.
The case began when a nun reported to PREDA that 18 children were inflicted with venereal diseases and one of the several suspects, a U.S. Serviceman was in the US.
After talking to the victims, pressure was brought on PREDA personnel not to go public with the truth. The excuse given was that the Navy were looking for the suspect.
Preda said there would be no publicity for a week and asked how he was allowed to leave the base and the Philippines. There were allegations of a cover-up and conspiracy to let him and his companions be reassigned in the US.
Fr. Shay Cullen gave them a week to do so and if Dougherty was not arrested and brought to trial, a cover-up was to be presumed.
When one week passed and still no charges were filed against Dougherty, PREDA exposed the case and the resulting public outcry forced the Navy to prosecute Dougherty but in Guam, not the Philippines and under Military law.
From that time on, PREDA was continually harassed by Mayor Gordon who claimed that the exposure damaged the image of Olongapo City and his reputation.
H. CHARLIE LUTON (1995)
|
French sex tourist Charlie Luton, was apprehended and charged by PREDA after evidence was found against him for violating young boys in Olongapo by NGO workers. He is presently on trial in Olongapo. |
I. MICHAEL CLARKE (1995)
|
British sex tour operator Michael Clarke. PREDA investigated, located Clarke and had him arrested. He was subsequently charged on evidence unearthed by PREDA and is currently on trial in Olongapo. |
J. NORWEGIAN PROFESSORS (1989)
PREDA followed up two cases in Norway of sex tourists who had abducted six children from Pagsanjan and brought them to Oslo. Working with police and Interpol the suspects were investigated and the children taken into care.
The Norwegian professors were convicted in Norway following the passing on of information by PREDA about their activities in the Philippines as sex tourists. The police found video taped evidence in their possession that got them both 11 years in prison in Norway.
K. MARK HARVEY (1990)
PREDA supplied documentary evidence against an American paedophile organizer, Mark Harvey, who was deported without trial. The evidence was used in a US court and increased Harvey's sentence by three years in jail in the United States.
Similar information gave leads to the Federal police in their investigations into 18 more cases of sex tourists who had returned to the United States.
L. HANS RIEMAR (1994)
German sex tourist Hans Riemar and child pornographer was under surveillance by PREDA and was identified, photographed and reported to the German Federal Police in Frankfurt. He was recently arrested in Manila and is on trial.
M. DOUGLAS MICHAEL SLADE (1995)
A British paedophile accused of child molestation in Angeles City. PREDA investigated and found another one of his victims and filed charges against Slade who is now on trial in Angeles City.
N. HANS JOACHIM GUNTER SCHNOOR (1996)
The investigation, surveillance and arrest of German national Hans Joachim Günter Schnoor for the sexual abuse of a minor in Olongapo. Now awaiting trial.
O. OVERSEAS CONVICTIONS
PREDA succeed in bringing charges against a German national, Thomas Brewer 32, in Germany after he jumped bail in the Philippines and fled to Germany with his companion a Dutch National, Lennart Ven Empel 24.
They were first charged in the Philippines for sex child abuse with a 15 and 9 year old. In November 1996 Breuer was convicted to three and half years in Jail. In January 1997 Van Empil was convicted by a Dutch court and received two years