A 14-year-old girl, who was reported missing for more than two weeks and later found with an older man in an apartment in Chiang Mai, has been put under government care.
“We won’t give details about the case. The minor must be protected,” Pol Maj General Jirabhop Bhuridej of the Crime Suppression Division, said on Friday.
The girl was found on Thursday with a 52-year-old man, who is the father of her friend.
The man, identified only as Ronnachit, is now facing a charge of taking a child younger than 15-years-old from her parents.
The girl had not contacted her family since December 27, making her parents worried. They feared she might have been abducted and filed a complaint with police in Bangkok and sought help from various outlets, including social media.
When police eventually located the girl, she was with Ronnachit, who said he was going on a sightseeing trip with the girl.
The girl is now under the care of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.