American arrested trying to smuggle out Philippine baby

[graham59]

MORMONS involved ?   Not satisfied with wandering around the Phils looking for 'victims' to brain-wash ?  

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/american-philippines-baby-human-trafficking-charge

An American woman has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly attempting to smuggle an undocumented six-day-old baby out of the Philippines hidden in a bag.

Jennifer Erin Talbot was arrested at Manila’s airport on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking, kidnapping and child abuse.

Talbot was able to pass through the airport immigration counter without declaring the baby boy but was intercepted at the boarding gate by airline personnel.

The 43-year-old was unable to produce any passport, boarding pass or government permits for the baby, airport officials said. It is alleged she planned to board a Delta flight to Ohio.

“She’s from a Mormon church and they’re trying to get the baby to be baptised and get church recognition for protection,” said Marlon Toledo, the supervising agent for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

According to an unsigned affidavit letter Talbot had with her at the airport, seen by the Guardian, the trip to the US was supposed to be temporary and “not exceed 6 weeks”. It names the child as “Andrew” and spells out the alleged purpose of the trip: for the baby “to receive a ‘name and a blessing’ and attain membership within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”.

The letter said the child was to receive American medical vaccines and a checkup, and would be taken to “meet his great-grandmother before she passes”. Allegedly written by the biological mother of the child, Maricris Dulap, it sets out the return date as 8 October 2019 but was not signed.

The baby has been turned over to government welfare personnel, where he will remain until a court order has been reached. Similar cases could last two to three years until a final judgment, Toledo said.

He said the woman had an application for a passport for the child with her, but had not processed it. “[She says] the reason for her story is, she said that her grandmother was dying, she is in the hospital, she has to go back to the United States,” he said.

Talbot had previously entered the Philippines last year, with entry stamps showing she arrived on 6 August and 2 July 2018, Toledo said. Most recently, she arrived in the Philippines on 6 August and again on 19 August this year. The child was born on 29 August.

Describing Talbot as a “frequent traveller”, Toledo said she also held a long-term visa for China and had been to a number of different countries.

Officials said no government travel approval had been issued for the baby, prompting them to file human-trafficking charges against Talbot. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Talbot also allegedly violated at least two other laws on child abuse, kidnapping and illegal detention, the NBI said.

The parents of the baby, who are at an unknown location, have also been charged with neglect of a child.

Toledo said the US embassy, who had been informed of the issue, had not yet been in touch with NBI officials. The embassy could not be reached for comment. Another NBI official, who declined to be named as they were not permitted to speak to the press, said the anti-human-trafficking division had “never encountered any similar case”.

Manuel Dimaano of the NBI said Dulap gave her baby to Talbot in Davao City. He said investigators would try to determine how Talbot brought the baby out of Davao, where a city clearance is required for infants to be transported by a foreigner.

The baby’s parents have been charged under a child protection law but have not been placed under arrest, although the mother has been interviewed by social welfare officers, according to Dimaano.

He said Dulap told the officers she wanted to offer her baby for adoption, and that there was no indication she had sold the baby.

Edited September 7, 2019 by Mike J
Edit by moderator to add article contents in addition to URL

[Tommy T.]

11 hours ago, bastonjock said:

I was 8 days old when i was handed over to a church run adoption service , i spent the next three weeks in a box somewhere, 

When i eventually traced my biological mother , she told me that i was the end result of a drunken one night stand and that she never held me and wanted to hand me over asap

I want you to call me mum she said 

Baston...

That is such a sad story but with a happy ending for you! Thanks for sharing that. Glad things worked out for the best for you ultimately.

[Tommy T.]

The latest news this afternoon on MSNBC:

MANILA, Philippines — The Deparment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has taken custody of a baby who was only six days old when she was found in the bag of an American woman about to board a flight for the United States on Wednesday.

In a statement issued yesterday, the DSWD said the infant is now at one of its centers for children.

“The department follows a protocol for the case management of child victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation such as trafficking,” the agency said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed a human trafficking complaint against Jennifer Erin Talbot, 43, a resident of Utah, after she was caught at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 hiding the baby inside her oversized sling bag.

Talbot was arrested for trying to bring the infant out of the Philippines without proper travel documents.

She is also facing complaints of child abuse and kidnapping with serious illegal detention.

NBI International Airport Investigation Division chief Manuel Dimaano said Talbot presented a notarized affidavit of consent and support allegedly executed by the baby’s mother, identified as Maricris Dulap.

However, she failed to present a travel clearance issued by the DSWD.

The biological parents of the infant – who was born in Davao City – were also charged with child abuse. Both are still at large.

The US embassy declined to comment on the case.

“We refer you to Philippine authorities. Thanks,” press attache Heather Fabrikant said in a Viber message to The STAR when asked for comment.

[Mike J]

21 hours ago, graham59 said:

MORMONS involved ?   Not satisfied with wandering around the Phils looking for 'victims' to brain-wash ?  

Wow, this story is just getting weird.  The article says she has visited the Philippines, China, and other countries on multiple occasions.  I can't help but wonder if this is the first baby she has snatched. 

[robert k]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

Wow, this story is just getting weird.  The article says she has visited the Philippines, China, and other countries on multiple occasions.  I can't help but wonder if this is the first baby she has snatched. 

Like Pokemon, you have to collect them all?

[Clermont]

3 hours ago, Mike J said:

Wow, this story is just getting weird.  The article says she has visited the Philippines, China, and other countries on multiple occasions.  I can't help but wonder if this is the first baby she has snatched. 

I agree, it's getting more intriguing by the minute, especially the attachés comments, usually a no comment answer.

[Dave Hounddriver]

So the child was 6 days old, stuck in  bag, and not screaming.  I wonder what the old woman gave the child to keep it quiet.  I also wonder how the XRay scan did not pick it up.  I just took a trip from Dumaguete to Canada and I went through more than 10 scanners (lost count) that I had to put my carry-on luggage through.  It has become ridiculous.

[Tommy T.]

Here's the latest today on MSNBC. Yup, this is a very strange and sad story that keeps rolling along...

In case you are interested, here's the link if you want to see some photos of the woman, baby, mom: 

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/lifestyle/family/exclusive-revealed-the-filipino-baby-and-teen-mom-at-center-of-human-trafficking-claim-utah-woman-posed-as-newborns-aunt-to-smuggle-him-to-us-in-her-carry-on-for-mormon-blessing/ar-AAH5HFx?li=BBr8Mkn#image=AAH5HFx_1|1

EXCLUSIVE: Revealed - the Filipino baby and teen mom at center of human trafficking claim: Utah woman posed as newborn's aunt 'to smuggle him to U.S. in her carry-on for Mormon blessing'

 

Laura Collins, Chief Investigative Reporter For Dailymail.com In Salt Lake City, Utah and Boy Siojo For Dailymail.com In Manila, Philippines

 

1 day ago

Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Jennifer Talbot , from Sandy, Utah, was arrested in Manila on September 4

Disclaimer: The story's details might appear unsettling and cause distress to readers. MSN advises to use discretion while choosing to read the story.

The U.S. woman accused of trying to 'smuggle' a six-day-old baby out of the Philippines concocted a bizarre scheme to pose as his aunt with the help of the baby's mother, a teenage wannabe reality TV star, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Jennifer Talbot presented documents to Filipino authorities to back her claim as she tried to take the newborn on a flight to the U.S. from Manila last Wednesday – and told them she was taking him to meet a non-existent dying great-grandmother in Ohio.

DailyMail.com can also reveal the baby's mother is 19-year-old who dropped out of school and had posted on Facebook about her baby, whom she had named Andrew, just before she gave him up.

Maricris Dulap, who came from a remote and poverty-stricken mining area of the Philippines, had apparently connected with Talbot, 42, while she was pregnant.

She provided a sworn legal statement that Talbot was the baby's aunt.

Talbot allegedly concocted a scheme with 19-year-old Filipina woman Maricris Dulap (right) to bring the teen's baby to the US, DailyMail.com can reveal

Talbot, a mother of five from Sandy, Utah, was carrying Dulap's affidavit as she attempted to 'sneak' baby Andrew onto a Delta flight from Manila to Detroit on Wednesday.

In it, Dulap allegedly provided three reasons for her child's trip to the States: one to 'receive a name and blessing' and membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, two to receive American medical vaccines and three, 'to meet his Great Grandmother before she passes on.'

The affidavit purportedly written by the 19-year-old Filipino described Andrew's great-grandmother' as 'on end of life care.' 

'To meet his great grandmother, my son will travel to Ohio first then to Utah with his aunt,' it stated. 

'Tentative dates of travel are as soon as possible as my son's great grandmother is about to pass at any time. She is on "end of life" care.'

Despite this claim Talbot, who is originally from Ohio, has no surviving grandparents on either her mother or father's side.

Talbot, whose five children include two adults from her first marriage – Spencer Holder, a serving U.S. Navy sailor, and Alexis Crabtree, a married mother of one – does have family ties to Ohio but has lived much of her adult life in Utah, and now lives in Sandy with her third husband Kirk Talbot.

Maricris Dulap, who comes from Mt Diwata, a remote and poverty-stricken mining area of the Philippines, had apparently connected with Talbot while she was pregnant

There is no signature on the document from the baby's mother and investigators have not yet been able to trace Dulap who was born in Mt Diwata, a village in the Compostela Valley province known for small-scale gold mining. It is unclear if they are actively looking for her.

But DailyMail.com has learned that the unmarried teen mom, who goes by the nickname Jham, is a wannabe reality TV star who once applied to be part of Pinoy Big Brother, the local franchise of the reality TV show.

In her application she gave her talents as 'dancing, singing, acting and joking.'

She admitted that she had dropped out of school and 'lost her way' due to the bad influence of friends and claimed that her parents once told her she was 'worthless.'

In social media posts, a troubling image emerges of a young girl who has struggled with depression and threatened to kill herself on more than one occasion.

© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Dulap was born in Mt Diwata, a village in the Compostela Valley province known for small-scale gold mining (pictured) It is unclear if they are actively looking for her

In one post, on May 3 of this year, she wrote: 'I think it's time to say goodbye to myself.'

In another apparent cry for help later that same day she stated: 'I need someone to bring me back and believe in myself again.'

In another post on August 30, the day after her son's birth, Dulap posted a picture of her sleeping baby and wrote: 'That feeling that you're not sure if this is really your child,' - a possible nod to the fact that she was due to hand the child over to Talbot in a matter of days.

Talbot reportedly connected with Dulap online before traveling to the Philippines on several occasions.

Most recently Talbot arrived on August 6 and again on August 19. She arrived in the city of Davao more than a thousand miles south of Manila on August 21.

It was there that Dulap gave birth to her baby boy eight days later on August 29.

She is married to third husband Kirk Talbot (right)

In an alarming and unexplained Facebook post just two days after giving birth the child's mother wrote: 'God help us.' The comment 'Why what happened?' went unanswered.

Similarly she did not reply to the question, 'Why did you give up your son?' posted in response to video uploaded on September 2.

The footage appears to show baby Andrew, sleeping peacefully, tucked up in a hooded onesie and cradled in what appears to be his mother's arms.

Two days later the child was discovered 'concealed' in Talbot's carry-on sling bag as she attempted to take him out of the country without government approval or the mother's signed sanction.

On Monday the child was still in the care of the country's Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Talbot, was able to pass through the airport’s immigration counter last Wednesday without declaring the child was with her, however she was intercepted at the gate by airport personnel

The baby's mother has been charged with neglect of a child but have not been arrested.

Talbot has been charged with human trafficking - which carries a possible life sentence - and according to the NBI has allegedly violated at least two other laws on child abuse, kidnapping and illegal detention.

She also faces a fine of between $38,500 and $96,200 if found guilty.

She is currently is in custody and it is not known if she has appointed an attorney, though a U.S. Embassy official confirmed that she has been provided with a list of law offices to contact. 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Tommy T.
Provide link address

[robert k]

I wonder why they didn't try the Godmother angle? That might have had some traction and could have actually been true.

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, robert k said:

I wonder why they didn't try the Godmother angle? That might have had some traction and could have actually been true.

I imagine no matter what angle without a passport and correct documents the baby wont be going anywhere.