By Douglas Gillison and Saing Soenthrith
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Evidence presented to prosecutors at Phnom Penh Municipal Court Wednesday following a police sting of an alleged pedophile ring included videotaped footage of two German men having sex with children involving sadomasochistic bondage, police said.
Police said they suspect the children were given the drug Ecstasy prior to appearing in the pornographic video clips, and that they anticipate more arrests of foreigners in Cambodia over the case, which has already netted the two Germans and three ethnic Vietnamese Cambodians.
"Tomorrow they will be charged but today we're only questioning them," deputy municipal prosecutor Ngeth Sarath said of the five suspects who appeared at the courthouse.
In arrests between Saturday and Monday, police detained Thomas Baron von Engelhardt, 42, Karl Heinz Henning, 61, and the three Cambodians, Nguyen Hong Voeng, 20, his wife, Cheng Thi Yu, 21, and her older sister, Cheng Thit Heu, 45.
Cheng Thit Heu is suspected of providing her 10- and 11-year old daughters to the two German men for sex, while Cheng Thi Yu and Nguyen Hong Voeng are suspected of pimping the children, said Keo Thea, deputy chief of the municipal anti-human-trafficking police bureau.
Prosecutors intend to charge the Cambodians with human trafficking and all three have said they intend to plead guilty, Ngeth Sarath said. The charge carries a 15- to 20-year prison sentence, he said.
Police brought Engelhardt to the court at 9:30 am Wednesday with the three Cambodian suspects. Asked whether he denied the accusations against him, Engelhardt smiled.
"I can't say anything at the moment," he said.
Engelhardt was also questioned at the court Wednesday evening, said Ngeth Sarath, adding that the suspect did not deny the charges against him but said he could not explain exactly what had occurred.
"He said he maybe took some drugs but he did not know what happened," said Ngeth Sarath, adding that Engelhardt would likely be charged with debauchery, which carries a 10- to 20-year prison sentence.
Henning, who was detained Monday after throwing himself from the balcony of his first-floor apartment after the police arrived, was still being treated at Calmette Hospital Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a doctor said his condition was improving following surgery to repair abdominal injuries sustained in the jump.
A visit to Henning's hospital bedside found him bandaged on his midsection and drowsy.
"I don't even know the charges against me," Henning said, adding that he had jumped from his balcony because he was confused.
"I was completely confused and they bring up more and more and more and from years ago," he said without elaborating, before three plainclothes police officers asked a reporter to leave the room.
According to evidence in the possession of Keo Thea, dozens of still photographs taken from 18 videocassettes seized at Henning's apartment show both Henning and Engelhardt having sex with children.
Police have not identified all the victims who appear in the pornography, he added.
Similar scenes were visible on 1,650 files found on a computer hard disk at Henning's apartment Keo Thea said, adding that technicians were working to unlock other computer files that were password-protected. "We have identified some of the victims but now we're still investigating," he said. "We have their pictures but it's very hard to find their location."
Some of the video footage shows young female children bound and being whipped, Keo Thea said.
The three Cambodians were arrested Saturday at the home of Cheng Thit Heu in Meanchey district's Chbar Ampov II commune, Keo Thea said. A single girl was found at Henning's apartment during his arrest Sunday, he added.
The four girls range in age from 10 to 13 years, he added.
Police believe Henning and Engelhardt paid $30 per sex act with each girl, Keo Thea said, adding that Cheng Thit Heu split the fees with a pimp for the abuse of her daughters.
"We will continue to arrest more people," Keo Thea said, adding that other suspects are foreigners but not German. He declined to reveal any more information on the case.
Police said they suspect the children were given the drug Ecstasy prior to appearing in the pornographic video clips, and that they anticipate more arrests of foreigners in Cambodia over the case, which has already netted the two Germans and three ethnic Vietnamese Cambodians.
"Tomorrow they will be charged but today we're only questioning them," deputy municipal prosecutor Ngeth Sarath said of the five suspects who appeared at the courthouse.
In arrests between Saturday and Monday, police detained Thomas Baron von Engelhardt, 42, Karl Heinz Henning, 61, and the three Cambodians, Nguyen Hong Voeng, 20, his wife, Cheng Thi Yu, 21, and her older sister, Cheng Thit Heu, 45.
Cheng Thit Heu is suspected of providing her 10- and 11-year old daughters to the two German men for sex, while Cheng Thi Yu and Nguyen Hong Voeng are suspected of pimping the children, said Keo Thea, deputy chief of the municipal anti-human-trafficking police bureau.
Prosecutors intend to charge the Cambodians with human trafficking and all three have said they intend to plead guilty, Ngeth Sarath said. The charge carries a 15- to 20-year prison sentence, he said.
Police brought Engelhardt to the court at 9:30 am Wednesday with the three Cambodian suspects. Asked whether he denied the accusations against him, Engelhardt smiled.
"I can't say anything at the moment," he said.
Engelhardt was also questioned at the court Wednesday evening, said Ngeth Sarath, adding that the suspect did not deny the charges against him but said he could not explain exactly what had occurred.
"He said he maybe took some drugs but he did not know what happened," said Ngeth Sarath, adding that Engelhardt would likely be charged with debauchery, which carries a 10- to 20-year prison sentence.
Henning, who was detained Monday after throwing himself from the balcony of his first-floor apartment after the police arrived, was still being treated at Calmette Hospital Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a doctor said his condition was improving following surgery to repair abdominal injuries sustained in the jump.
A visit to Henning's hospital bedside found him bandaged on his midsection and drowsy.
"I don't even know the charges against me," Henning said, adding that he had jumped from his balcony because he was confused.
"I was completely confused and they bring up more and more and more and from years ago," he said without elaborating, before three plainclothes police officers asked a reporter to leave the room.
According to evidence in the possession of Keo Thea, dozens of still photographs taken from 18 videocassettes seized at Henning's apartment show both Henning and Engelhardt having sex with children.
Police have not identified all the victims who appear in the pornography, he added.
Similar scenes were visible on 1,650 files found on a computer hard disk at Henning's apartment Keo Thea said, adding that technicians were working to unlock other computer files that were password-protected. "We have identified some of the victims but now we're still investigating," he said. "We have their pictures but it's very hard to find their location."
Some of the video footage shows young female children bound and being whipped, Keo Thea said.
The three Cambodians were arrested Saturday at the home of Cheng Thit Heu in Meanchey district's Chbar Ampov II commune, Keo Thea said. A single girl was found at Henning's apartment during his arrest Sunday, he added.
The four girls range in age from 10 to 13 years, he added.
Police believe Henning and Engelhardt paid $30 per sex act with each girl, Keo Thea said, adding that Cheng Thit Heu split the fees with a pimp for the abuse of her daughters.
"We will continue to arrest more people," Keo Thea said, adding that other suspects are foreigners but not German. He declined to reveal any more information on the case.
4 comments:
How evil can a mother and father be to take your own daughers who are so young and turned them into prostitutes infront of your own eyes. Having stranger came into your room and abuse your own children. These parent need to be lock up for life and when they die they need to decend to hell to be tortured.
very sad...These are the kind of parent that need to be murdered by their own children.
Hochiminh's childrents came to Srok Khmer not grab up Cambodian people works, but bring also guilty culture. They can do anything in Cambodia, coz they have his brother Hoc and Hun are behind them
But, have Mee Yuon Katop (Viets) been known to be nothing but the best at the world's oldest profession on this planet earth as we know it??? Ask the French? Why did the French lose the battle of Dien Bien Phu? Ask the Americans during the 60's, the 70's and beyond....lolz Khmer should not be shocked..as a matter of fact the Khmers do enjoy those Viet bitch more than anybody else and a good number of them died of AIDS as a result...
08/27/06
AKnijaKhmer
Anything is possible in Srok Khmer! Hmmmmmmmm ..... you can buy citizenship and many you can name it. Even a portion of land sitting on the Royal Palace is sold out! And the King just stays nicely quiet! Bravo! I think we got to learn Vietnamese again very very soon! De Javou of the 80s !
(Khmer Peasant)
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