Police arrest a peeping-tom monk

via Khmer Z News Media

Monday, 28 June 2010 15:01 Chhay Channyda and Mom Kunthear

DAUN Penh district authorities have arrested a monk who allegedly recorded videos of naked women in the public shower of a pagoda and distributed them via Bluetooth and his mobile phone, police said.

Neth Kai, 35, was arrested on Saturday following a complaint from one of the victims, who accused the monk of secretly recording a video of her while she was showering at Srah Chak pagoda in Daun Penh district, said Sok Penhvuth, the deputy district governor.

Police searched the monk’s quarters at the pagoda, he said, and “found a lot of evidence to prove that he had recorded video clips of innocent naked ladies”.

“The suspect admitted that since 2008 he had secretly recorded videos of about 20 women using two mobile-phone cameras … one hidden in the shower’s ceiling and one hidden in a can of incense sticks,” he said.

Among the confiscated pieces of evidence were two mobile phones, about 80 pornographic VCDs, a computer and more than US$5,000, he added.

Sok Penhvuth said the suspect would be charged at Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday, and he encouraged more victims to come forward with evidence relevant to the case.

Keo Thea, chief of the municipal anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection bureau, said that last week his office received three video clips of three different naked women – all approximately 20 years old – who were filmed unwittingly while showering at the pagoda.

“This is the first case where we have received a video taken of naked women in a bathroom,” he said, and added that the women were all obviously filmed without their knowledge or consent.

Sivann Botum, secretary of state at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, said Friday that the ministry would act as a plaintiff in the case in order to help out the victims. “Women are the victims in this case,” she said. “A case like this can’t be tolerated because it took place at a pagoda.”