Former Thai senator and MP candidate denies involvement in child prostitution

A 15 year old girl who was rescued from prostitution accused a former high-ranking politician of buying sexual services from the teenager. The politician in question is identified as a former senator and Pheu Thai Party candidate.

Baan Mor Police Station officers arrested a Burmese woman on Tuesday, September 12 for forcing her 15 year old daughter into prostitution in the central province of Saraburi. The teenage victim claimed that her clients ranged from a local man to a school principal and a high-ranking politician.

As a result, an investigating officer conducted a further probe into all of the clients and issued five arrest warrants against them. The five alleged clients are identified as:

• Suriya, a medical professional at a hospital in Lop Buri.
• Pornchai, a construction contractor.
• Daecha, a former director of the Sara Buri Provincial Buddhism Office.
• Prasong, a salesperson in Nakhon Pathom province.
• Boonsong Kerdlam, a former senator and a candidate for a Member of Parliament from the Pheu Thai Party.

Police said another man was suspected of buying the sex service but there was insufficient evidence to arrest him.

All the suspects were charged with taking a minor away from her parents or guardian for an obscene purpose. The penalty is two to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 40,000 to 200,000 baht under Section 319 of the Criminal Law.

Four suspects on the list surrendered to police on 13 September. Some admitted their illegal activities, while others denied them. All were released on bail.

The 57 year old former senator, Boonsong, surrendered to police yesterday, September 13. He denied the charges and was later released on bail. Police said the former senator was accompanied by his lawyer and would defend himself in court.

According to a report on Matichon, the victim is now under the care of the Kredtrakarn Protection and Occupational Development Centre in Bangkok, while her Burmese mother is being held in Saraburi prison.

ORIGINAL STORY: Burmese woman arrested forcing 15 year old daughter into prostitution

A Thai man filed a complaint against his ex-wife for forcing their 15 year old daughter into prostitution at a resort in the central province of Saraburi.

The 37 year old Thai man, named A, accompanied by his daughter’s school teacher, Baan Mor Police Station officers to arrest his former Burmese wife, 37 year old Mamiao, yesterday, September 11

A explained that he was divorced from his wife and his daughter lived with her mother since they split up. However, his daughter recently ran away from home to stay with her friends and stopped going to school. The teenage girl’s father later found out about her absence from school when her teacher came to his house looking for her.

A later found his daughter and discovered why she had left home.

The teenage girl, named Suay revealed that her mother had been pimping her to men at a resort where her mother worked. Suay said she was not the only girl being pimped into prostitution. There were other teenage girls whom the mother would summon when the perverted men asked.

Suay explained that she had to run away from home because a client liked her and tried to take her to live with him.

According to the victim, they were paid 1,500 to 5,000 baht each time, and clients ranged from a local man to a school principal and a high-ranking politician.

Officers issued an arrest warrant for the woman and arrested her the same day. Mamiao admitted her crime adding that she had to pimp out her daughter and others in prostitution because she was a single mother and needed money to raise her daughter.

Mamiao confessed that she had five to six regular clients. The money she received was between 1,000 and 2,000 baht each time, not 5,000 baht as her daughter claimed.

Mamiao was charged with two offences, including…

• Section 64 of the Immigration Act: entering the kingdom illegally. The penalty will be imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to 50,000 baht.
• Section 6 of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution: Operating human trafficking from child prostitution. Act against the victims aged over 15 years old but not over 18 years old, the penalty will be imprisonment from six to 15 years and a fine from 600,000 to 1,500,000 baht.

Police officers are now investigating to identify the rest of the girls involved and to identify the clients.

Some Thai media outlets reported that one of the politicians is a current member of Parliament.

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