A 54-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a 10-year-old neighbor in the forest while her parents were away from their home in Kompong Cham province, police said on Monday.
Koy Channy, a recently divorced carpenter, took the girl from her home in Srei Santhor district’s Prek Pur commune at around 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, said Heng Vanna, the district police chief.
“The suspect and victim’s family know each other quite well. The suspect has always given money to the victim and taken her around on his bicycle,” Mr. Vanna said.
The girl’s mother reported the rape to police after her daughter told her about it two days later, he said, adding that Mr. Channy was arrested the next day and questioned by district police.
“[The suspect] didn’t confess to raping the girl. He didn’t say anything at all,” Mr. Vanna said.
Deputy provincial police chief Heng Sambath said the suspect denied raping the girl under questioning at the provincial court on Monday but conceded that he had taken her out on his bicycle in the morning.
The court is awaiting the results of a medical examination of the girl, Mr. Sambath added.
