21 men suspected of paying for sex with 15 year old
Today, officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) arrested two people suspected of sex trafficking a teen girl in Ayutthaya province. The police have applied for permission to detain the duo for 12 days while they collect evidence.
The two arrested people are the teen’s aunt, Pavina Thongchua, 20, who will likely be charged with presenting a minor for prostitution, illegally detaining a person, and coercement; and retired teacher Wichai Pensawad, 61, who will likely be charged with rape of a minor and taking a minor away from her guardian.
Wichai was with the girl at his apartment on Tuesday at 7:30pm when police raided the place to rescue her. They were working on a tip from the Paveena Foundation, a group that advocates for female victims and who the girl’s mother contacted for help when she learned of her daughter’s forced sex work.
Pol. Col. Arun Wachirasrisukanya confirmed that investigators were checking evidence and applying for warrants for the 21 men named as clients, who allegedly arranged to have sex with the girl for money over LINE messaging app. The girl said it had been going on for about seven months.
The charges being considered for Pavina and Wichai carry jail terms of over a decade for each suspect.
Source: coconuts
