The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday charged a 69-year-old U.K. man and his 27-year-old girlfriend over child prostitution and sent them to Prey Sar prison to await trial, court spokesman Y Rin said.
Investigating Judge Veng Hourt charged Clive Cressy with purchasing child prostitution and Chea Sokthy with soliciting child prostitution, Mr. Rin said.
Mr. Cressy was accused of having sex with four girls—aged 12, 13, 14 and 15—in exchange for money, which included paying for “virginity sex,” police and child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) have said.
APLE executive director Samleang Seila said one of the girls had identified Ms. Sokthy as a relative.
Another girl identified Mr. Cressy as a doctor, he added, although he could not verify the information.
Mr. Cressy is listed online as the company director of U.K.-based Oxford Publishers, whose website lists its main publications as medical and scientific works, “as well as children’s books, mainly for the age group 9-16 years.”
Mr. Cressy was arrested last week at his Phnom Penh apartment.
