A South Australian man jailed over a child sex abuse ring in the Philippines paid $30 for each live act of abuse online, threatening the children with starvation if they didn’t obey his demands. 7NEWS
The investigation into his crimes led to the rescue of 15 young victims and the arrest of five people in the Philippines following an international investigation.The 68-year-old former government human resources manager was first detained in February 2020 after Australian Border Force officers examined his bags when he arrived in Melbourne on an overseas flight and allegedly found child abuse material on his mobile phone.
In February last year, Schapel admitted 50 offences, including viewing, remotely instructing and recording the sexual abuse of children on 55 occasions between March 2018 and January 2020.Credit:One of the alleged offenders of the ongoing child sex abuse hides her face inside a premises in the Philippines before her arrest.
On Wednesday, Judge Paul Cuthbertson described Schapel’s behaviour as “callous” and “disgraceful” with “no thought given to the plight of the poor unfortunate children who were required to perform at request”. Australian Federal Police Commander Erica Merrin said the case highlighted the force’s commitment to work with partners to protect children around the world.