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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
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Lao Man Arrested in Thailand for Producing, Selling Child Abuse Content

This Week

Thai police arrested a 20-year-old Lao national on 6 July at a resort in Muang District, Surin Province, for allegedly producing and distributing child sexual abuse material through paid online groups.

Officers from Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) apprehended the suspect, identified as Chaipol (surname withheld), following a months-long investigation into two suspicious X (formerly Twitter) accounts—“ภานุวัฒน์73k” and “บานานา73k.” 

Authorities say Chaipol used these accounts to promote explicit content involving boys under 18 and directed followers to private Line chat groups, where he charged THB 139 (USD 4.27) for regular access and THB 259 (USD 8) for premium membership.

Undercover officers infiltrated the groups and discovered over 500 paying members. Inside the chats, they found numerous videos featuring minors in sexually explicit situations. Investigators traced the content back to Chaipol, who was found hiding at the resort.

During the raid, police seized his mobile phone, which contained dozens of illicit videos, along with sex toys, bank records, and clothing used during the recordings. Some clips were reportedly filmed in public locations.

Chaipol admitted to filming the videos himself and distributing them through Line groups for nearly a year, earning over THB 100,000 (USD 3073.14). He also confessed to entering Thailand illegally and said he had contracted a serious illness from unprotected sex during production.

He now faces multiple charges, including possession and distribution of child pornography for commercial gain, uploading obscene materials to publicly accessible computer systems, and illegal entry into Thailand. He has been handed over to the ATPD for further legal proceedings.

Thailand enforces strict laws against child pornography under Sections 287/1 and 287/2 of its Criminal Code. Possession can result in up to 5 years in prison, while distribution carries penalties of up to 7 years. Production or trade may lead to 10 years behind bars, with harsher punishments for organized or cross-border offenses. 

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