The Fight Against Modern Day Slavery in the Philippines

Steve Baird, Chief Marketing Officer of Compassion Australia, shines a light on the horrific crime of online child sexual exploitation in the Philippines—and the pivotal role Compassion plays in protecting vulnerable children.

15 Jan, 2025

In a crowded, poor neighbourhood in the Philippines, a young boy was offered something simple: Coca-Cola and bread. But in return, he faced the unimaginable. Coerced by a neighbour, he became a victim of livestreamed sexual abuse—exploited for the gratification of someone in another country paying to watch.

The alarming rise of online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines

It’s horrific, yet the story is familiar. The Philippines has tragically become a global hotspot for the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), now one of the world’s fastest-growing major crimes. Widespread poverty and the global accessibility of smartphones have contributed to the rise of child sex trafficking, making it easier than ever for predators to exploit vulnerable children.

The scale of this crime is staggering. In 2023, a study by International Justice Mission (IJM) found nearly half a million Filipino children—about one in every 100—were victims of online sexual exploitation in 2022 alone.

These children are often coerced by someone they know and trust—a neighbour, a family member, or even a parent—into livestreaming abuse for paying offenders a world away. This exploitation is driven by the desperate need to escape poverty. Perpetrators might pay as little as A$50—which represents a month’s wage for someone living in extreme poverty.

It’s not just occurring on the dark web. Child sexual exploitation is happening through everyday channels and social media platforms where people are able to connect. The accessibility and anonymity provided by these platforms, combined with the vulnerability of children living in extreme poverty, contribute to the alarming scale of this abuse.

The psychological trauma from this kind of exploitation is profound and far reaching, affecting victims in multiple areas of their lives. Beyond the immediate physical and emotional harm, survivors often face long-term challenges and stigma associated with their experiences.

Australia’s role in fueling modern day slavery

In my previous role with IJM Australia, I learned how poverty makes children so vulnerable to this form of exploitation. What I also learned—and still find confronting—is that Australians are complicit in fuelling this crime.

Australia ranks as the world’s third-largest demand driver behind the US and the UK.

Between 2015 and 2022, the Philippine Government’s Anti-Money Laundering Council identified Australia as the third highest source country for suspicious payments related to online sexual exploitation of children.

And a recent collaborative study by UNSW, Jesuit Social Services and others reported 1.8 per cent of Australian men have engaged in sexually explicit webcamming with a child and 1.7 percent have paid for online sexual interactions, images or videos involving a child.

Building a protective fence to prevent child sexual exploitation

Now with Compassion Australia, I’ve witnessed the powerful role our local church partners play in protecting children within their programs. They’re part of the ‘fence at the top of the cliff,’ creating safer communities through education, advocacy and vigilance to prevent children from falling victim to online predators.

I could not have predicted that two organisations I have worked for in a row would be tackling this form of modern slavery, but having met with brave survivors, I feel the privilege of my unique place to help protect children.

In the Philippines, Compassion supports over 100,000 children in partnership with more than 400 local churches. Compassion provides training and resources to help church partners teach children about their rights and internet safety, run educational workshops for parents and identify red flags or children who may be at risk.

Compassion’s holistic approach to child protection

Last year, I visited some of our local church partners in Cebu, a province with the second-highest number of OSEC incidents in the Philippines. I heard about the breadth of Compassion’s work from staff who are deeply committed to protecting the children in their communities and collaborating with authorities and other non-government organisations (NGOs) to combat this crime.

It was encouraging to see their confidence as community leaders, playing a proactive role as part of our holistic child development program, and fostering environments where children build strong relationships within a network of protective adults.

Compassion’s strength lies in its holistic child development approach which enables local churches to act as the eyes and ears in the community and raise awareness.

This community-based approach underscores the importance of partnership in the fight against OSEC. Compassion partners with organisations such as International Justice Mission (IJM), local authorities and other child-focused NGOs to tackle this issue together.

When our local church partners learned about the boy who was lured by the offer of Coca-Cola and bread, they notified the authorities straight away. With the help of IJM, the perpetrator was caught and sentenced to prison for 25 years.

The abuse was atrocious, but through Compassion’s intervention and partnerships, justice was eventually served, and the boy was supported with shelter, trauma-focused counselling and reintegration into the community.

This painful experience also strengthened the resolve of our local church partners to be fearless as they advocated for children.

Join the fight against modern day slavery and child trafficking

There is much work to do. The vulnerability of children in the poorest neighbourhoods is an ongoing threat. As Australians, we must stand and fight against this insidious crime happening to the children on our doorstep. Especially as it is one fuelled by perpetrators in our own country.

More needs to be done at all levels to prevent this type of exploitation. One way to take a stand on an individual level is by sponsoring a child in the Philippines. Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program uniquely empowers our local church partners to take a proactive and preventive approach in the fight against OSEC.

Sponsorship enables more children to receive vital support and empowers the local church to educate families about OSEC and tackle the root causes of vulnerability. Through sponsorship, we are helping build stronger, safer communities where children are loved, known and protected.

How you can help

To join the fight against child sex trafficking, consider sponsoring a child today or donate to the Highly Vulnerable Children fund.

Written by Steve Baird, Chief Marketing Officer, Compassion Australia.