Child Rescue is the New Zealand branch of the Destiny Rescue family, a global network of organisations. At times, we may use ‘we’ and ‘our’ alongside Destiny Rescue to reflect the collective efforts of this international network in rescuing children from sexual exploitation and human trafficking, and supporting their long-term freedom.

Nilda was extremely cautious.

Caleb, our Global OSEC Rescue Director, was working undercover on behalf of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). His job was to pose as a child predator as he corresponded with Nilda. Even after three months of building trust, the child abuser still wouldn’t show her face in video calls.

She was wanted by the authorities for exploiting her 4-year-old daughter online; the abuse she inflicted on her little girl was horrific in the extreme.

Caleb’s months of work with the NBI came down to one day. His duties had taken him to another country, so he was sitting in a hotel room thousands of miles away when he video-called the trafficker. On his other phone, he coordinated with the Filipino officers, who were minutes from raiding Nilda’s home.

The plan was simple: Caleb would confirm that the girl was on-location, then purchase livestream sexual exploitation with the child just before officers burst in to arrest Nilda. It was a “buy-bust” operation, similar to the way that an undercover cop might purchase drugs from a dealer before other police swept in to make the arrest. The key was to catch Nilda in the act, but raid the home before the child was in danger of abuse. Their timing had to be perfect.

Under NBI virtual supervision, Caleb paid Nilda for the livestream, completing his part of the operation. All he had to do now was watch the strike team swarm into Nilda’s house to rescue her child.

But nothing happened.

The officers rushing to the address had been delayed. Nilda surprised Caleb by grabbing the little child and bringing her in front of the camera. It appeared that Nilda was about to begin the show right away, something that he couldn’t allow under any circumstances. But simply ending the call would tip her off to the impending raid, compromising their chance to rescue the child.

Still playing the part of a child predator, Caleb remained calm and in control. He told Nilda to put her daughter down, saying they’d get to her when he was ready. He then distracted her by changing the subject, buying a few crucial moments in the hopes that the police would arrive soon.

The stall tactic worked. When Caleb heard a sound in the background of Nilda’s video call, she abruptly ended the call. Caleb waited in agony, messaging police to find out the result of the strike.

Suddenly, his screen lit up: he was receiving a call from Nilda. When he answered, he couldn’t help but break into a smile. Instead of a human trafficker on the other end of the call, he was greeted by several armed members of the strike team, grinning and waving into the webcam. Nilda was in custody and her daughter was finally safe.

That young girl faced appalling abuse at the hands of someone who should have been loving and protecting her. Thanks to your generous gift, that abuse is over. She has a long road ahead of her, but your act of love made her rescue possible.

From Caleb, the NBI strike team and for that little girl’s sake, we say thank you.