The Criminal Court sentenced a father to 51 years in prison for sexually assaulting his own child and posting videos on the dark web for distribution in Germany

The Criminal Court sentenced a father to 51 years in prison for sexually assaulting his own child and posting videos on the dark web for distribution in Germany

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) would like to publicize the verdict of the Criminal Court in Black Case No. 1111/2567 and Red Case No. 2173/2567, dated July 15, 2024, concerning the prosecution by the public prosecutor from the Office of the Attorney General against Mr. Tony (pseudonym) for sex-related offenses and violations of the Commission of Offences Relating to Computer Act, B.E. 2550 (2007), as a special case no. 123/2566.

This case arose when the DSI, through its Technology and Cyber Crime Bureau (Child Sexual Exploitation Division) received information from the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt: BKA) along with photographic and video evidence indicating that a suspect in Thailand had sexually abused children and published the content on the dark web and in Germany. The Technology and Cyber Crime Bureau (by its Child Sexual Exploitation Division) thus coordinated with the OUR Rescue organization for an in-depth investigation and found that the suspect resided in the northeast region of Thailand.

On January 14, 2024, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Deputy Director-General and Acting Director-General of the DSI, assigned Police Captain Khemachart Prakaihongmanee, Director of the Technology and Cyber Crime Bureau, Ms. Kannika Suksomnil, Head of the Child Sexual Exploitation Division, along with Mr. Wuttikrai Sritawat Na Ayutthaya, Head of the Surveillance and Intelligence Section, Surveillance and Intelligence Center, and a team of special case inquiry officials, to join forces with police officers from the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Central Institute of Forensic Science, and the OUR Rescue organization, executing a search warrant and arresting Mr. Tony, aged 34, at a residence in the northeast region. The search also uncovered the following exhibits: electronic devices containing over 22,600 files of child pornography, including images of the offender's own daughter as a victim. Subsequently, the special case inquiry team for special case no. 123/2566 submitted the special case inquiry files to the public prosecutor, recommending the indictment of the alleged offender on March 19, 2024. The public prosecutor then proceeded with prosecution in the Criminal Court.

On Monday, July 15, 2024, at 9:00 AM, the Criminal Court sentenced the defendant to 51 years in prison for sexual intercourse with a minor under 13 years of age who is a descendant, sexual assault of minors under 13 years of age, and the visual or audible recording of indecent acts or sexual assaults to seek improper benefits for himself or others. The defendant was also found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography to seek sexual gratification for himself or others, coercing, threatening, seducing, inciting, encouraging, or consenting to a child to perform or commit sexual acts, and importing obscene material into a computer system that is accessible to the general public, in accordance with sections 277, 285, 280/1, and 287/1 of the Criminal Code, section 26 (9) of the Child Protection Act, B.E. 2546 (2003), and section 14 (4) of the Commission of Offences Relating to Computer Act, B.E. 2550 (2007) and its amendments. However, since the defendant pleaded guilty, the sentence was reduced to 25 years and 6 months, and the evidence in the case was confiscated.