American man charged with molesting minor
THE Siem Reap Provincial Court on Friday placed an American man in pre-trial detention after he was arrested on Wednesday for sexually harassing a minor in Siem Reap City.
Provincial Court spokesman Yin Sreang told The Post on Sunday that Robinson Shaun Earl, 40, has been charged under Article 43 of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.
“The American was charged with committing indecent acts against a minor under 15 years old,” he said.
If found guilty, Earl faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to six million riel ($1,500).
Chea Heng, the head of the provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection bureau, said Earl allegedly committed the indecent act after luring the boy, who was begging for money, to his home.
“We searched for him after receiving a complaint from the boy’s mother,” he said.
According to t he complaint, Earl met t he boy while he was begging at a market in Sla Kram commune and brought him to his home with promises of money.
Once there, he asked the boy to undress and lie in bed. He then played with the boy’s genitals and had him fondle his back until he ejaculated. Earl stayed with the boy for one night before giving him 100,000 riel to return home.
Upon receiv ing the complaint and obtaining a search warrant, police raided Earl’s house and seized a memory card, three gaming consoles and two bott les of lubricants, among other t hings, as ev idence.