Protect Children from Sex Trafficking in Thailand

Nong Penny (name changed) was a previous victim of child human trafficking. Our team worked hard on her case and we were grateful to see her on the path to restoration. However it did not end there… 

We received contact from Nong Penny again, saying she was in trouble. This time the offender was her ex boyfriend. Because they were previously in a relationship, he had several nude images of her. The offender threatened to release nude images of her if she didn’t give him 50,000 baht or have sex with him. When she refused, he forwarded an image of her to another person. 

Our team, along with Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) searched the offenders house and found evidence on his cell phone. He was later arrested and in the process of getting charged for distributing child sexual abuse material. 

The HUG Team also supported the victim identification of 7 child survivors of human trafficking. We were able to provide support through interviews, transportation, and basic necessities. In order to protect the child victims, we cannot go into detail of this case yet, but we are very thankful for your support to allow our team to be able to assist with providing services to sex trafficking victims. Each donation goes a long way for us and we feel grateful to be able to directly support children all over Thailand. 

It has been a very busy couple of months for our team but we are continuing to make a difference in child survivors’ lives as well as continuing to build partnership among government prosecutors and social workers. We’ve learned that working both directly with children in combination with government policy, is the best way to achieve a greater impact. 

 In January, an offender was arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material and for the sexual exploitation of minors. The offender targeted young children, specifically a 12-year-old Yim* through and online gaming platform. After he befriended Yim* online, he coerced her to send clips of herself to the offender, he proceeded to blackmail Yim* for money. Even after receiving some money, the offender still published the video clip and sent it to Yim’s family and acquaintances. After gathering evidence, law enforcement officers were able to arrest the offender on January 9th. We’re thankful to have been able to help with this case and to be there to reinforce a child-centric approach during the investigation and restoration process. Our team was specifically asked to join the investigation by Yim’s parents and we thank them for their bravery to come forward to ask for help. 

Our team was also a part of a nation-wide operation that reached 22 provinces throughout Thailand. This operation lead to the rescue of 7 children and the arrest of 26 offenders. Its cases like this that show the importance of collaboration and cooperation. We feel grateful that we are able to work along side the Royal Thai Police and Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children. 

Another recent case involved two suspects who were changed with producing obscene content as well as possession of indecent images of minors. One of the suspects admitted to creating doctored images of his friend and then posting them online for paid members. The account had over 400 paid subscribers.   Unfortunately, this crime is not uncommon and it has been a huge problem in the online world. Many of these “subscription accounts” are a way for offenders to make money at the expense of young children.

We also recently were a part of the creation of the Child-Friendly Justice Initiative Team (CJIT) under the Office of Attorney General. We aim to enhance child friendly justice among prosecutors working with child victims of human trafficking, online sexual abuse and other forms of violence against children. It continues to amaze me how much we can accomplish with collaboration, passion, and the desire to fight for the rights of children. Everyone who attended the Child-Friendly Justice Initiative Team webinar knows that it is worth the fight. This is just the beginning, and I cannot wait to see the positive impact we will have on child survivors.

*A pseudonym has been used to protect this survivor's identity.