Police have arrested and detained a 38-year-old Thai man in the Tha Sala district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province for the repeated rape of his young stepdaughter and use of illegal drugs.
The arrest followed a complaint by the girl’s grandmother, who informed officials that her granddaughter, who is under the age of 15, had been continually abused over the past six months by the suspect.
The man, whose name has been withheld, was arrested on Tuesday by Anit-Trafficking Police Division (ATPD) and local police at his home, according to Commander of the 5th Sub-Division of the ATPD, Pol Col Apisan Chaiyarat.
At the time of arrest, the victim and her four-year-old sister were in the house. The 38-year-old suspect later tested positive for drugs following his arrest.
The young girl informed the police at Tha Sala station that her biological father had passed away in 2019. The girl’s mother had taken her sister and her to live with another man who became her stepfather.
The first incident occurred in late January when the victim fell ill while she was on a fishing boat with the suspect.
The man raped her on the boat and threatened to hurt her family and chase them out of the house if she told anyone.
Following that, the man sexually abused the young girl multiple times, both in their home and on the fishing boat.
Police said that after his arrest, the man confessed to the crimes.
He will be charged with the statutory rape of a minor under 15 years old and the illegal use of drugs.
The girl has been placed into social welfare care at the local Nakhon Si Thammarat office.
Source: Bangkok Post
