On November 1, 2022, a 19 year old Cambodian man was arrested and sent to prison to serve his sentence after he was found guilty for child pornography charges of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation by the Siem Reap Provincial Court. In September this year, the man was sentenced in absentia to 2 year imprisonment and ordered to pay 4 million riel (Approx. 1000 $US) compensation to the victim. Since he was accused of the crime by his victim in 2020, he had escaped from the police.
In 2020, an underage girl reported to APLE Hotline that she was being threatened for sexual images by a man she formerly had online relationships with. The girl explained that her abuser would share her private images without her consent if she refused to provide him more nude photos and videos. The Hotline team worked with the girl and responded to her report. With the girl’s information, the team was able to identify online platforms where her images were posted and subsequently worked with the hosting service provider to successfully remove the content. The girl’s case was also referred to the provincial police by the Hotline team who took action to assist with police investigation. In the meantime, the girl was working through her needs assessment with the APLE Victim Support and Assistance Team where she received her much-needed psychological support and legal aid.
In August 2022, the girl attended the court hearing, which was requested to be private. She was accompanied by her female counsellor and lawyer, provided by APLE, throughout her testifying processes. The hearing was held without the presence of the accused who had escaped since the crime was reported to police. The girl told the court everything that had happened to her.
In September 2022, the court announced the verdict sentencing the girl’s abuser to 2 year imprisonment for child pornography offences. The girl was also awarded a civil compensation of 4 million riel by the court.
The girl was happy that she decided to report her case and sought help from APLE. She was pleased with the legal action that happened which could stop her offender from exploiting her, and possibly other children.
