Puerto Vallarta hosted the presentation of VigIA, a free digital monitoring system meant to detect warning signs linked to child sexual abuse, grooming, bullying, and other risks to minors.
The event was held on Monday, June 8, with Infancia Libre de Abuso Sexual, municipal officials, representatives of the Jalisco government, and civil society groups.
The system was presented as a Jalisco-developed tool that can operate on smartphones, tablets, and voice assistants. Its developers said VigIA uses artificial intelligence to analyze behavioral patterns and conversations, then sends alerts when it detects potential risk.
What the system does
VigIA is described as a digital protection fence for children and teenagers. The risk areas listed for the tool include sexual harassment, grooming, substance use, physical or psychological violence, bullying, emotionally harmful content, and physical danger.
The platform also includes geofencing, GPS tracking, and a panic button that can notify emergency contacts. Families would still need to set permissions, contacts, and privacy controls on each device before relying on the system.
The app was developed by ILAS A.C. in partnership with MADE Group and donated to the organization, according to details shared at the Puerto Vallarta launch.
Dafna Viniegra, co-founder and president of ILAS, said the project was created to move child protection closer to prevention.
“We cannot keep arriving after the damage has already occurred,” Viniegra said in Spanish during the presentation.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus supported the launch in a video message and said the state would be “extraordinarily severe” against anyone who harms children. Arlette Chapoy Gómez, an official with DIF Jalisco, said public institutions need a route that includes prevention, detection, and support for victims.
The local use in Puerto Vallarta
The presentation arrives in a city where child protection is already part of the public-safety conversation. Previous coverage has followed Puerto Vallarta child sexual abuse cases and the broader fight against human trafficking in Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta’s tourism economy, a large number of temporary visitors, and a busy hospitality sector have kept child exploitation and online contact with minors on the local agenda for years. VigIA adds a digital layer, but it does not replace a formal report when a child may be in danger.
DIF Jalisco has an online form for reports of child mistreatment or family violence, including abuse, exploitation, neglect, and abandonment. The form allows anonymous reporting.
For urgent danger, call 911. Federal guidance also keeps 089 as the anonymous reporting line for non-emergency complaints.
The reviewed public materials did not include a Puerto Vallarta school rollout schedule, training dates, or a municipal registration process. ILAS lists VigIA access through its website as part of its child sexual abuse prevention work.
