SAMUT PRAKAN: A 60-year-old man accused of raping his two nieces for more than four years has been arrested in Phra Pradaeng district.
Police arrested the suspect, identified only as Paiboon, at a house in tambon Bang Yor on Friday, after Som, the grandmother of the two teens, aged 13 and 16, filed a complaint with officers at Phra Pradaeng police station.
Under questioning, Mr Paiboon admitted to having raped his two nieces who lived in Mrs Som's house.
According to the suspect, he got drunk, and this aroused his sexual desire. He then raped his eldest niece and kept sexually abusing her on countless occasions. He also admitted that he had sexually abused his youngest niece five to six times.
The sexual abuse came to light when their grandmother saw naked photos of the 16-year-old on the girl's mobile phone.
She asked the girl what had happened and was told that Mr Paiboon had sexually abused her and taken the photos.
Mrs Som said she later had a quarrel with Mr Paiboon, who then threw the phone into a ditch.
Her eldest grandchild told her that she had been sexually abused since she was in Grade 6. The latest abuse happened on Wednesday. The youngest grandchild told her that she was also sexually abused by the uncle.
The grandmother said she would fight to the end to bring the man to justice. She never thought that the girls would be raped by the person close to them.
The girls’ mother had died many years ago, while the father left the house after his wife’s death. The girls had been under Mrs Som's care.
An aunt of the girls said she was shocked to learn that Mr Paiboon had raped his nieces. The suspect worked at a fishing vessel and had not stayed in the same house with the victims. When visiting the community, he often took the eldest niece to his vessel, said the aunt, whose name was not disclosed.
She saw the man give money and buy gifts to his nieces and she never thought he would sexually abuse them.
The 60-year-old was charged with rape of a child under 16 who was not his wife and sexual abuse of a child under 13. The suspect was held in police custody for legal action while the girls were taken to a state welfare house for children in Samut Prakan.
