Norway police: Underage victims of direct-order sexual abuse mostly from Philippines

Trigger warning: Sexual abuse

MANILA, Philippines — A report by Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) found that a large portion of online-ordered sexual abuse occurs in the Philippines with underage minors being most of the victims. 

In a report dated October 23, Kripos identified the Philippines as the hub of “direct order-based sexual abuse” (DOBO), where minors are exploited in live-streamed abuse at the request of buyers.

The report cites several factors behind this concentration of DOBO cases, including a legacy of commercial sex industries, a reputation as a sex market, and its appeal to traveling sex offenders.

Additional factors include the widespread use of English, developed internet infrastructure, cultural influences, and readily available payment services.

However, the study noted that despite the Philippines being the center of online sexual abuse, it is also possible that the buying and selling of DOBO in other countries operates differently than described in Kripos’ report.

“It’s also possible that countries with populations speaking other global languages, such as French and Spanish, may purchase DOBO from developing countries where these languages are widely spoken,” the report said. 

The report covered years 2011 to 2017 which focused on cases involving Norwegian buyers. 

DOBO as a practice involves live-streamed sexual abuse of minors, ordered and paid for by buyers online.

In such cases, buyers not only pay for abuses but may also direct how they are conducted, issuing instructions to the seller either in advance or during the live session. 

The transaction terms, including the price, are negotiated before the abuse, with payments made through online platforms, according to the report. 

In some instances, technical constraints prevent live streaming; when this happens, sellers may record the abuse and send the footage later—a practice considered equivalent to live-streamed DOBO.

Kripos also classified DOBO as an "organized crime" due to the frequent collaboration among multiple sellers, who often "borrow" exploited children from one another and share chat and payment accounts.

“From Norwegian criminal cases, there is