Woman Charged With Pimping Out Seven Teenagers

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday charged a 37-year-old woman with aggravated procurement of prostitution for allegedly facilitating the sale of seven teenagers for sex, police and court officials said.

Sok Him was arrested outside Daun Penh district’s Bolina Palace Hotel on Monday for pimping the female victims, aged 17 to 19, to foreign and Cambodian men, and sent to prison Thursday afternoon, according to Keo Thea, head of the municipal anti-trafficking police.

“The suspect was sent to Prey Sar prison after being charged by the investigating judge with procuring prostitution with aggravated circumstances,” Mr. Thea said.

Deputy prosecutor Oum Sopheak confirmed the charge against Ms. Him and said the case was now in the hands of Investigating Judge Ly Lipmeng, who said a trial date had not been set.

“Whenever we collect enough evidence, we will send the case to trial at that time,” Judge Lipmeng said.

Mon Vimean Champa, the lawyer for Ms. Him, said the charge against her client, which carries a prison sentence of five to 10 years, was too harsh, but declined to comment further.

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