SECURITY. Despite the emergency declarations, riots and the entry of prohibited objects continue to exist in prisons.
The lack of control over the entry of prohibited objects into prisons results in those detained for child pornography continuing with their ‘business‘.
Despite being detained and imprisoned, the members of an international network of pedophiles continued to operate in the El Rodeo prison, in Manabí, from where child pornography was produced and sold.
The fact was revealed in May 2023, when the Transnational Crime Investigation Unit (Unidt) determined that two Dutchmen and a Belarusian woman, who were arrested in 2022, for being part of a network accused of child pornography, continued to commit this crime. from jail. Thus, his transfer to another detention center in Guayaquil was ordered.
During the investigation of this gang, whose operations have ramifications in Ecuador, Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and Costa Rica, the investigators found more than 500 audiovisual material files that link the defendants. That was handed over to the Judiciary.
Materials in social networks
Through monitoring on social networks, the authorities found that the members of this network continued to spread pornographic material.
This caused the El Rodeo prison to be raided, where cell phones were found that had the IPs that hosted the child pornographic material.
take advantage of poverty
According to investigations, the foreigners were located in Canoa (Manabí) since 2021. In that place they approached minors to record the material, produce it and market it.
Pedophiles offered the children’s parents money, food, clothing and toys. After they gained the trust of the adults, they took the children to a hotel and recorded the images. In 2022 they were arrested.
Ana Soledad Méndez, a child psychologist, points out that these networks choose towns where people have few resources and “the State returns to see very little” in order to commit these crimes. “They take advantage of poverty and the disinterest of the authorities,” she confirms.
“Vulnerable children are more likely to be abused in all ways,” adds Méndez, who recalls the case of the false priest who offered food to low-income children in the Historic Center of Quito and abused them.
jails without control
Andrés Olmedo, a master in computer security, points out that it is alarming that a pornography network manages to operate from prison. “It’s a clear example of no signal inhibitors, less control of what comes in or what’s generated from within,” he says.
Although the Government emphasizes that controls are carried out, the searches are always the same: inside there are weapons of all kinds and sizes, cell phones, money, drugs and even pets.
In 2022, Nelsa Curbelo, who was director of the Pacification Commission, pointed out that the control of the entry of weapons is not working. “We have seen the weapons inside the prison, and not just any type of weapon.”
The latest example that the situation in prisons has not changed was what happened between June 7 and 8, 2023. On the first day, in the El Inca prison, in the north of Quito, weapons, drugs, phones and money. 24 hours later, 64 prisoners staged a riot demanding to be transferred to Esmeraldas. For this they took four lawyers hostage. (AVV)