Police arrest 2 women in Buriram for alleged online child sexual exploitation
Police in Buriram arrested two women for alleged online child sexual exploitation in a raid on a bar-restaurant in the province this week. Officers reportedly uncovered two underage girls working in the establishment and two women were charged with exploiting the girls.
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD Police) arrested the owner of the bar-restaurant, 35 year old Tuenjai ‘Kukkik’ Thamprakoan, on Wednesday, March 22, on charges of child sexual exploitation, operating without permission, selling alcohol without a license, and allowing underage employees to work in a place that sells alcohol.
In addition to the raid on the restaurant, the ATPD Police reported that they had arrested two women for their alleged involvement in online child sexual exploitation, 31 year old Kanjanee was apprehended in Ratchaburi, while 35 year old Thanyaphon was detained at the Sadao Immigration in Songkhla. Thanyaphon admitted to the charges, but Kanjanee denied them, reported Pattaya Mail.
The ATPD Police had earlier rescued female teenagers between the ages of 15 to 18 from several provinces in southern Thailand who had allegedly been groomed to engage in online sexual exploitation by the two suspects. The teenagers were paid between 700 to 900 baht per customer, while the suspects received 700 to 1,000 baht in commission.
All suspects remain in police custody while investigating officers carry out further questioning.
The exploitation, trafficking and abuse of children in Thailand is nothing new.
Only this week Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau arrested a German pedophile for shooting and distributing child pornography involving his teenage stepdaughter from his home in Pattaya.
Earlier this month, two perverted Thai transwomen were arrested in Chon Buri and Khon Kaen for luring four boys, aged 12 years old, into making group-sex porn and selling child pornography via Twitter accounts and the LINE application.
Last month, a 23 year old Swedish man from Stockholm was prosecuted for allegedly running a huge network selling pornographic images and videos of over 4,000 young girls and women in Thailand.
Thailand has taken several measures to combat the sexual exploitation of children. The country has enacted laws and established government agencies dedicated to the prevention and prosecution of crimes related to child sexual exploitation.
For example, Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2008 criminalizes all forms of human trafficking, including the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Additionally, the country has established the Child Protection Center and the Center for Protection of Children’s Rights, which provide support and services for child victims of sexual exploitation.
Thailand also works closely with international organizations such as the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to combat child sexual exploitation. The country has implemented awareness campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of child sexual exploitation and to encourage reporting of such crimes.
Despite these efforts, child sexual exploitation remains a significant issue in Thailand. The government continues to work to strengthen its laws and enforcement mechanisms, as well as increase public awareness and prevention efforts, to better protect children.
