[Cambodia] Trio pimped teens: police

Three women were charged by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday in a pimping case involving a trio of underage girls.

Kim Layseak, 18, Soeun Tey, 24, and Chan Srey Leak, 25, stand accused of arranging illicit encounters between a wealthy clientele and girls as young as 14 years of age, said Keo Thea, chief of Phnom Penh’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit.

“[The suspects] have held three young girls in their rental house and arranged for them to have sex with rich men in guesthouses or hotels in Phnom Penh,†Thea said yesterday, adding that the suspects charged male customers $100 a night.

Half of the money made by the three girls – two 16-year-olds and one aged 14 – was divided among the three suspects. The three teenagers have since been reunited with their families, he added.

The prostitution ring has been operating for about five months, according to Thea, who confirmed that anti-trafficking police were tipped off by the parents of the young girls, leading to the arrest of Layseak in Sen Sok district’s Phnom Penh Thmey commune on Thursday.

Police arrested Srey Leak and Tey at a rental house in Meanchey district’s Prek Eng commune on Friday after Layseak revealed their location.

Concerned family members of the three missing girls filed complaints with local police officials months ago after their daughters went missing. But after a family member spotted one of the girls on the back of a moto with Lyseak, they tailed the moto to the suspect’s rental house, and reported its location to police.

None of the suspects could be reached for comment yesterday. They each face charges related to procuring prostitution and child prostitution.