BANGKOK – Police investigators, working with several related units, rescued a 12-year-old girl who had been missing for four days, after she was allegedly lured through chat in an online game, then controlled through psychological pressure and kept inside a condo.
Officers arrested a 26-year-old Bangkok man, identified as Noraphat “Keng” (last name withheld in some reports), inside a condo room on the 11th floor in the Bang Mot area of Thung Khru.
He was initially charged with taking a child under 15 away from parents or guardians for indecent purposes without a valid reason. Investigators said additional charges, including possible sexual offense-related charges, will depend on the results of the ongoing investigation and supporting evidence.
The girl, a fifth-grade student, vanished on the evening of January 24, 2026. When she didn’t come home, her mother and family grew worried and reported her missing at Wat Phraya Krai Police Station right away, without waiting 24 hours.
Early interviews and checks raised concern. The family’s chat contact with the girl suddenly stopped, which didn’t fit her usual behavior. Police quickly sent investigators into the area to look for leads.
Police Reviewed CCTV Footage
Officers searched around the girl’s home and her school, but the first day brought no clear result. As the case spread on social media, attention increased, yet the girl’s location remained unknown.
With time running out, the investigation team returned to review nearby CCTV footage again and again. That review helped connect a small but important detail: the footwear seen in the footage appeared to match a man who had recently added the girl as an online contact.
That clue pushedinvestigators to follow the trail farther from the home area. The CCTV route later showed a motorcycle carrying three people, with the girl seated in the middle and two men riding with her, before they disappeared from view.
Late at night on January 29, 2026, officers searching in the Thung Khru area spotted a man whose shoes matched what they had been tracking. They followed him into a condo and moved in.
Inside the 11th-floor room, police found the girl exhausted, curled up under a blanket. The suspect was also in the room. During a search, officers found the girl’s phone turned off and hidden inside the suspect’s bag.
Police Warn Parents
Police took the suspect into custody and brought both him and the girl back to Wat Phraya Krai Police Station. The girl was reunited with her mother soon after.
The suspect reportedly confessed to the main charge but claimed he didn’t know the girl’s age. He also claimed he did not harm her. He said the blood found on the bed came from a cut on his own leg.
He told investigators he met the girl through an online game and brought her to his room to play games. He also claimed the girl’s phone was off because the battery ran out.
Police said the current findings point to a pattern where an adult builds trust with a child online, persuades the child to meet in person, then uses manipulation to control the victim. Investigators are interviewing witnesses, reviewing more evidence, and preparing possible additional charges.
Police also warned that the internet and online games aren’t always safe spaces. A stranger met through a game or social media may not be who they claim to be.
Parents and guardians were urged to keep an eye on children’s online activity and to watch for signs like sudden secrecy, changes in behavior, or unexplained gaps in contact. If something feels wrong, report it quickly by calling 191 or contacting the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) Facebook page.
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