Siem Reap: Following a private hearing, Siem Reap Provincial Court on September 7, 2022 delivered a default judgment sentencing a 19-year-old Cambodian man to 2-year imprisonment for “Child Pornography” of Article 41 of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and ordered him to pay 4 million riel (approx. $US1000) compensation to the girl victim. The court also ordered the authorities to arrest the man who has been on the run since he was aware of the lawsuit against him.
In 2020, the case was investigated by the Siem Reap provincial anti human trafficking police, following a suspicion report filed by APLE and the victim’s complaint. According to police, the suspect befriended his victim on Facebook and soon started private messaging to groom her. However, later their relationship did not go well and the girl asked to end it. In late 2021, the suspect began to threaten the girl to send him sexual photos and videos depicting herself which she ultimately agreed to do because of the fear. Nevertheless, the suspect demanded more and more images from the victim.
The victim decided to report her case to APLE after she found out that her videos were shared online. APLE’s Internet hotline team responded immediately to the case by working with the hosting providers to remove the victim’s images from the internet and collaborating with the national police to investigate the complaint. The victim also received psycho-social support and legal assistance from APLE team throughout the court proceedings. After the verdict, the victim felt relieved about her case but urged that the abuser be arrested to serve his sentencing.
Sexual extortion or sextortion is the act of threatening someone to distribute their sexual images if they don’t provide them sexual favours, photos/videos of a sexual nature, or money. It is a serious crime and has devastating consequences on victims, especially the young ones.
Online perpetrators can pretend to be someone they are not, offer you gifts, say nice things about you, become your close friend, in order to gain your trust. Their ultimate goal is to engage you in sexual activity or make you a victim of sexual exploitation. Do not send private or sensitive images to anyone, no matter what they say or who they are. If you are receiving threats from someone to send private or sensitive images of yourself, talk to someone you trust and report it. You can also call APLE’s 24/7 Hotline 092 311 511 or report it via https://aplecambodia.org/reporting-page to seek help. Remember you are not alone.
