Cyber police have arrested a 20-year-old man who created a secret Line group to sell child pornographic clips, finding hundreds of thousands of files on his computer. The man allegedly earned over 30,000 baht per month distributing the illegal videos and images.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat Watnakornbancha, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (Cyber Police), told Thai media that following the investigation by the Anti-Child Sexual Abuse on the Internet Group, TICAC, it was discovered that someone posted an advertisement inviting the general public to join a secret group used to distribute online pornographic media.
An undercover agent joined the Line group by transferring money to the group administrator’s bank account. The admin allowed them into 6 closed LINE groups. Within the groups, a large amount of child pornography was found.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat said officers collected evidence and located the admin’s address through his IP address. They then requested a search warrant for the house believed to be the group’s owner’s.
The Cyber police served the warrant from the Phichit Provincial Court on a house in the Pak Tang area, Tambon Nai Mueang, Amphoe Mueang Phichit, Phichit Province.
Mr. Pongkun, aged 20, was found residing in the house. An iPhone and a desktop computer were seized as evidence.
After checking the information on the two devices, police found evidence that he was the admin of the secret line groups. In addition, more than 100,000 folders containing video clips and pornographic images were found on his computer.
Police charged Mr. Pongkun with “entering into the computer system and forwarding any computer data that is obscene and such computer data may be accessible to the general public”, “possessing and forwarding child pornography to sexually exploit oneself or others”, and “for trade or by trading or distributing in any way child pornography”.
Mr. Pongkun admitted that he created and managed the secret Line groups for about two years and earned more than 800,000 baht in total over the past two years.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat said the Technology Crime Suppression Division police were looking into all the members of the secret Line Groups and all involved would be brought to justice.
Penalty for Obtaining, Distributing Explicit Child Material
On September 8, 2015, the Royal Thai Government Gazette published the amendments to the Penal Code of Thailand, as outlined in the Amendment to Penal Code Act (24th edition) B.E. 2558.
The penalty for “Child Pornography” has been prescribed by the Amendments, which are distinct from the current pornography penalty outlined in the Penal Code of Thailand. The following is a concise summary of this amendment:
The possession of any child pornography for the purpose of sexual exploits for oneself or others is punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of five years, a fine of no more than THB 100,000, or both.
A term of imprisonment not exceeding seven years or a fine not exceeding THB 140,000, or both, shall be imposed on the individual who engaged in the aforementioned activity if they disseminated the Child Pornography to other individuals.
Whoever; Makes, produces, possesses, brings or causes to be brought into Thailand, sends or causes to be sent out of Thailand, takes away or causes to be taken away, or circulates any Child Pornography for the purpose of trade or by trade, for public distribution or exhibition; or
Conducts business, participates in or distributes child pornography, exhibits it to the public, or contracts it out; or contributes to the circulation or trading of any Child Pornography, disseminates information regarding the existence of an individual who is engaging in the aforementioned activities, or disseminates information regarding the possibility of obtaining Child Pornography from any individual or through any means.
A fine ranging from THB 60,000 to THB 200,000 and imprisonment for a period of 3 to 10 years shall serve as the penalties for such an individual.
The Amendments have defined “Child Pornography” as any material or object that depicts or demonstrates any sexual activities of a child or with a child under the age of 18 through text, image, or any other medium, including any document, painting, print, printed matter, picture, poster, symbol, photograph, cinematographic film, magnetic sound-recording tape, magnetic picture-recording tape, or any other similar item.
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