Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday charged a 59-year-old American with purchasing sex with three children and producing pornography, according to officials.
The court also charged two Cambodians who allegedly sold sex with the girls, all under 18, to the American after advertising them on the Internet.
American Thomas Carr, who arrived here Jan 14, was arrested Friday in Phsar Thmei III commune after police received information from the two Cambodian suspects–Mey Sovann, 35, and Seng Vy, 47–who were arrested on Thursday, said Ly Suvichhay, chief of the Interior Ministry’s.
Carr allegedly had sexual intercourse with the three victims in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district and paid Mr Sovann and Ms Vy a total of $7,800 for their services, Mr Suvichhay said.
Carr “paid them after they stayed with him for two to three days,” he said, adding that all three suspects have confessed to the crimes.
Bith Kimhong, director of the Interior Ministry’s anti-human trafficking department, said Mr Sovann was arrested Friday at Phnom Penh International Airport while Ms Vy was arrested at her home in Kien Svay district’s Koki commune, for selling underage virgin girls on the Internet.
“The Cambodian man announced on the Web that he has an underage girl service,” Mr Kimhong said, though he was unable to recall the address of the website.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court Deputy Prosecutor Hing Bunchea said that Carr was charged with buying child prostitution and producing pornography, while the two Cambodians were charged with procuring child prostitution.
US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said yesterday that US officials were aware of the case and would investigate.
In a separate case, Siem Reap Provincial Court on Friday charged a 64-year-old Norwegian man with purchasing sex from a child prostitute, said Deputy Prosecutor Sok Keobandit.
Rolf Sletten, originally from the Norwegian capital Oslo, was arrested Wednesday at a convenience store in Siem Reap city.
Mr Keobandit said that though Sletten was originally accused of having sex with four boys, the police have only been able to locate one of the alleged victims.
“We charged him with…buying a child prostitute since the victim is 16-years-old,” he said.
Sletten “said he loves the boy like his own child and that he wants to bring the boy to his country,” Mr Keobandit said, adding that Sletten declined to answer when asked if he had had sex with the adolescent.
“If he is found guilty, [Sletten] will face from two to five years in jail,” Mr Keobandit said.
