Pattaya - FEMALE PROCURES UNDERAGE GIRLS FOR FARANG
FEMALE PROCURES UNDERAGE GIRLS FOR FARANG
Following police investigations into several cases of child sex, four farang and one Thai lady procurer were arrested between the dates of March 19th and 20th in Pattaya.
On March 19th, the Child and Female Protection Squad working with the Pattaya Immigration Police arrested 4 farang males on charges of child abuse. The men were: Mr. Illuga, aka Mr Hero, a Finn aged 63, Mr. Maurice John Prill, aged 76 a British national, Mr. Stephen James Ellison, aged 56, also British and Mr. Richard Allen Gren, aged 60, an American.
The evidence includes pornography on video, photos, CDs, digital camera and a computer. They confessed to the crime of sex with minors and gave the police the name of the lady procurer, Ms Amornrat Garteuy, whose services they have been using for a long time.
Following the tip off, the police arrested Ms Amornrat, aged 29, originally from Khon Kaen at 2.30 pm on March 20th in Soi Chalermphrakiet 16, Banglamung, while riding a motorcycle to see her friend. After being questioned, she confessed that she had been procuring girl minors, under 15 years old for middle to old aged farang men.
She also explained to the police how she ran her business. She told them that she searching for girls who were between 11-17 years old that were homeless, latchkey kids, runaways, or the children of ladies working in bars who had been left to fend for themselves. Ms Amornrat told the police that she now had more than 10 girls on her books. The going rate for a virgin was 5,000 Baht of which 1,000 Baht was given to the girl. Younger children are being targeted because some foreign men believe that younger children are unlikely to be infected with HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Amornrat continued with her confession saying that after she got the girls she contacted potential clients and would deliver them to the appropriate condominium or apartment and then wait for the girl in the lobby to take her back to her house where she would put them up. She maintained that she essentially worked on recommendation.
On other occasions, a number of children, of both sexes, aged between 10 and 15, would be acquired for farang-only customers, including members of sex-tour groups. The children would have made movies made of them having sex with the farang which would later be made into VCDs that would be sold on the internet.
The police said they had an arrest warrant to arrest 50 foreigners, mostly old. A number of these men had been arrested on multiple occasions for the same offence. Some of the men were actually out on bail, but still continued to commit crimes of sex abuse of minors.
Editor's Remarks
One of the problems is that the victims of abuse often grow attached to the prospect of easy money, especially if they have been destitute and also want to buy the latest mobile phone or Ipod , or simply to eat. Cambodian children are often brought to Pattaya by friends or relatives to work, largely begging or selling flowers and sweets, especially to the tourists. The older ones can easily drift into child sex because of the continuing high demand from paedophiles.
Two years ago, the Thai Department of Social Welfare and the Ministry of the Interior said there were as many as 80,000 child prostitutes in Thailand However, Dr. Vichai, their spokesman, maintained that child prostitution has also decreased. The working group found that a large number of prostitutes were from countries which border Thailand.
Several social programmes are targeted at reducing child prostitution, for example, the "Educational Project for Young Women", which provides vocational training to teenage girls who might otherwise turn to prostitution. This also lowers migration to urban areas such as Bangkok and Pattaya, keeping families together.
The laws against having sex with child prostitutes under 18 and the punishments for the customer, parents and procurers of child prostitutes are severe. Pattaya Police have become very vigilant and have recently arrested many people who frequent child prostitutes, both male and female. A special centre set up in Pattaya is now rigidly enforcing laws against the sexual exploitation of children. Arrests are made and the violators’ names and photos appear in newspapers and other media. This is a warning to foreigners who wish to come to Thailand to engage in sex with children. The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Tourist Police have also organized a campaign, with flyers handed out to tourists warning them of the severe penalties.
In the past, child prostitutes often frequented shopping centres, the tourist boat pier, beer bars in South Pattaya, the footbridge on Pattaya Third Road and Jomtien Beach. The Royal Garden Shopping Mall was also cited as being a favourite place from where to acquire children for sex although stringent steps were being taken to police the mall and prevent it being used for such purposes.
Over recent years, the number of Asian children falling prey to sex tourists has soared as a combination of poverty and a failure to act by developed nations has allowed the trade to flourish. And, the problem of child prostitution is still very deep-rooted in Asia according to many sources, ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism) being one of them. ECPAT put the number of child prostitutes as one million worldwide.
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CHILD PROSTITUTION CONTINUES UNABATED IN PATTAYA
Pattaya Daily News
Underage Sex Investigation Gets Help From Fbi
UNDERAGE SEX INVESTIGATION GETS HELP FROM FBI
In the case reported recently in the Pattaya Daily News relating to several cases of underage sex and child molestation, the four farang, Messrs. Ilkka Ylikolola (aka Mr Hero), Maurice John Praill, Stephen James Ellison, and Glenn Richard Allen that were arrested are now being further investigated by the FBI, who are co-operating with the Thai police on the case. The four have now been incarcerated in a police prison until 31st March and have been refused bail.
All four were charged with sexual molestation of children aged under 15. They face up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Londoner Stephen James Ellison, 54, was charged with raping a girl under the age of 15. He faces up to 20 years' jail if found guilty.
Maurice John Praill also from London, was charged with attempting to rape a girl aged under 15 American Glenn Richard Allen, 60, from Seattle and, 63, from Finland, were charged with molestation.
After examining their computer, the investigating team found pornographic photos and video taken of the children they had sex with, if they find that video footage has been uploaded onto the internet, they will be deported to their countries of origin after their case is finished in Thailand. They will likely face charges and possible imprisonment in their own countries.
The police also discovered two more farang involved in this case, but they will have to collect more evidence before they can be arrested and charged. Similarly, another Thai woman, Mrs. Luk Petchumpol, has also been found to be involved in procuring along with the original procurer Ms Amornrat Garteuy. Mrs. Luk has been arrested, also.
Pattaya Daily News