Russian Charged With Sex Crimes Against Boys

A PROVINCIAL Court in Cambodia has charged a Russian man with having paid sex with three boys in Siem Reap, in May and June, according to the following report from New Straits Times. The man has not been named in the following, but local media sources have previously called him ROMAN BAK TIGZIH, but his Facebook account is Roman Platinov.

Provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department chief Colonel Chea Heng said that the accused had allegedly committed the crimes at the Romantic Hotel in Sala Kamroeuk commune’s Wat Bou village.

“The court charged the man with purchase of child prostitution and sent him to the provincial prison pending trial,” he added.

Colonel Heng said provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police officers cooperated with Phnom Penh police to arrest the Russian near the Australian Embassy in Chamkar Mon district on Friday, after the provincial court issued an arrest warrant.

“The suspect was involved with purchase of child prostitution involving three boys aged between 11 and 13 in May and June this year,” he said.

The accused denied committing the crimes against the boys, according to khmertimeskh.com.

“Even though he denied committing the crimes, we have enough evidence against him,” Colonel Heng said.

A National Police statement on Sunday said that the accused was arrested near the Australian embassy on Friday after he fled from Siem Reap province to Phnom Penh, and was taken back to the province.

Khoem Vando, a child protection specialist with Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) said the case was taken up by another NGO.

He said that the number of cases involving foreigners committing sexual abuse against children in Cambodia so far this year is similar to last year, but could not give the exact number.

“Now, foreign suspects use all sorts of strategies to sexually exploit children in Cambodia,” he said.

Vando noted that foreign paedophiles are now committing sexual abuse against children in rural areas instead of cities.

An APLE investigation published last year reported that foreign tourists suspected of being paedophiles continue to visit the Kingdom to exploit weak law enforcement, with as many as 102 cases recorded in 2017 and 89 cases in 2018. NEW STRAITS TIMES

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