The mother of the child identified by police as Ms Chantra has pointed the finger at a 33-year-old man who was also arrested on Tuesday, as the mastermind behind the criminal enterprise which saw her make pornographic videos for sale online.
Police have already arrested two men linked with Tuesday night’s raid on a 25-year-old woman’s home in Saraburi after Criminal Court warrants were issued relating to the prostitution of her 9-year-old girl and online pornographic activity where video clips of sexual encounters with the child were sold online. On Wednesday, senior police officers within the force warned anyone in Thailand engaging in the human trafficking of children that they will be prosecuted and pursued to the fullest extent of the law.
Police working with both the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) are actively tracking contacts of a 25-year-old woman who has admitted to pimping her daughter in Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom province for sex to customers.
The police are believed to be focusing on the woman’s social media connections after a tip-off led them to arrest Ms Chantra on Tuesday after a warrant was issued by the Criminal Court on the same day based on evidence obtained by police in their wide-ranging investigation.
The arrest was made by officers of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD).
Police found approximately ฿100,000 in the woman’s bank account with most of the funds generated by the sale of video clips according to investigators
Police are not revealing the woman’s surname to protect the identity of her 9-year-old child who is the victim in the case.
Police discovered that the woman had approximately ฿100,000 in her bank account and believed that most of this money was earned by selling the highly illegal and horrifying video clips online.
The woman told the police that both she and her family were poor.
Two men also arrested as part of a widening probe in which police promise to track down all punters
Already, police have confirmed that two men have been arrested as part of the investigation.
Officers believe that the woman hired her daughter out at least five times and are still probing her activities.
The two men arrested have been partially identified as 58-year-old Mr Shakelev and 33-year-old Mr Thosapol.
Officers working on the case plan eventually to identify and arrest all those involved in the affair and to bring them to justice without delay.
After her arrest on Tuesday night, Ms Chantra, also identified by police as Ms A, confessed to her activities and identified 33-year-old Mr Thopaspol as the key perpetrator of the criminal enterprise.
All three brought before the Criminal Court
Mr Thosapal, when arrested, refused to answer police questions, reserving his right only to speak when brought before the Criminal Court.
The three people detained in connection with the racket, including Ms Chantra, were taken on Wednesday before the court where police strongly objected to bail.
Investigators believe the abuse involving the young child began sometime in 2020 and were able to track money being received by the mother’s bank account in the last two years.
Mother previously worked as a prostitute in the sex industry, police concerned for girl’s mental health
On Wednesday, the commander of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Police Lieutenant General Jiraphat Phuridet, who has been actively involved in the case, said that Ms Chantra had previously worked as a prostitute before coming to police attention for pimping out her daughter who has been identified only as ‘Bee’.
Royal Thai Police officers including Police Colonel Pattanapong Sripin, a top commander who has been involved in the oversight of this investigation, have issued a warning to men in Thailand or any individual found engaging in similar behaviour even between friends or informally, that the police will pursue such matters to the fullest extent of the law.
Police Lieutenant General Jiraphat explained that his officers are particularly concerned about the potential mental damage to the child in this case and all girls who are victims of human trafficking, at all levels within the trade.
Watch out for signs of abnormal behaviour in children
He reached out to parents or guardians of children asking them to be on the lookout for any sign of abnormal behaviour in young children especially those who are in adolescence or approaching it.
The 25-year-old mother of the girl has been charged before the court with the prostitution of her child who is under 13 years of age including being in possession of and producing pornography.
The two men arrested on Tuesday have been charged with committing indecent acts with a child under 13 years of age as well as a general charge of child abuse.
Disturbing video found online and a tip-off from the public prompted the police investigation and action
It is understood that the investigation into the woman and her activities has been ongoing since a disturbing video clip featuring the child appeared online and police were given a tip-off by a concerned member of the public.
The probe and police activities have involved the Social Development and Human Security Ministry in Saraburi as well as local police agencies.
All these agencies were involved in Tuesday’s raid at the mother’s home in Saraburi.
It has emerged that there are several video clips in circulation and that they were made by the mother of the child.
Mother’s confession as police probe her claims that the pimping of her child had ceased some time ago
Ms Chantra explained to police that she had worked extensively in the sex industry as a prostitute and that she would sell the video clips to customers as an extra for a few hundred baht.
She said that she had been asked by them to perform this service.
She admitted charging customers anything from ฿2,000 to ฿5,000 for a sex session with her daughter but insisted that this had occurred no more than five times within the Bangkok area.
Police are also focusing on the mother’s claims suggesting a limited number of incidents and that she had ceased the activity some time ago including the recording of video clips.
Investigators are sceptical given the turnover seen on her bank account over the last two years with more recent pornographic clips being detected.
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Further reading:
Top model agency unmasked for sexually abusing thousands of young children in Thailand by DSI
Thai owned pirate movie website closed down by DSI police one of the biggest in the world
