Phillies catcher J.T Realmuto and wife Lexi brings attention to the growing threat of online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines
Philadelphia Phillies catcher J. T. Realmuto and his wife Lexi Realmuto have made a move to raise awareness about the growing issue of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Philippines.
They raised it at an important time as the Philippines is known worldwide as the No. 1 hotspot for it and there has been an increase in reported cases where children are being taken advantage of on the internet.
On Wednesday, Lexi took to her Instagram account and posted about the important issue. The post included a picture of her and her husband along with their two daughters, Gracie Lane and Willa Mae.
"2.7 million ... The number of online tips reporting possible online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines in 2023. This number has more than tripled since 2019," Lexi captioned.
The post was in collaboration with the International Justice Mission. IJM is a nonprofit organization that works for human rights and helps those in need with the help of local authorities.
According to a 2023 report by UNICEF, around 20% of internet-using children aged 12-17 in the Philippines reported that they experienced online sexual abuse.
The Philippine government has started to take measures to counter OSEC through legislation such as the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Act.
J.T and Lexi Realmuto's journeys
J.T. Realmuto and Lexi Realmuto got married on Nov. 4, 2017. The couple are parents to four children: Gracie Lane, Willa Mae, Cash Taylor and Zane Tyler.
According to The US Sun, Lexi was a model and a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
On the other hand, J.T. made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Miami Marlins. He then joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. He is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, winning it in 2019 and 2022.
He also won the Silver Slugger Award thrice, in 2018, 2019 and 2022. J.T. has three All-Star Game nods, as he was selected in 2018, 2019 and 2021.