Accused head to face rap
>> NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The disgraced school director facing charges for allegedly conducting a sexual affair with an underage student has said he will surrender to police on Wednesday, district police say.
Nathaphop Boonthongtho, 51, director of Wat Ban Patong Tha Neon Samakkhee School in Bua Yai district, contacted police to say he will turn himself in on Wednesday after being on the run since the scandal broke out in recent weeks, Bua Yai police chief Karom Boonsod said yesterday.
Police will press charges against Mr Nathaphop of sexual harassment of a minor and depriving her of parental care after the girl’s mother filed a complaint against the school director on Friday.
The girl, 14, with whom Mr Nathaphop is accused of having an affair, earlier disappeared along with the school director after their relationship came to light. She was a Mathayom 2 (grade 8) student at the school which Mr Nathaphop directed.
The Nakhon Ratchasima Primary Education Service Area 6 set up a probe panel which found Mr Nathaphop had an intimate relationship with the 14-year-old student. The panel’s findings were based on witness accounts.
Another probe team will be formed to consider disciplinary action against Mr Nathaphop, according to the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Education Office’s committee. The girl has surfaced and gone to live with her mother in the province. She has given statements to the local police regarding the alleged sexual harassment. Her mother has filed a police complaint against the school director as well as a Mathayom 3 boy who is the girl’s former boyfriend.
The director and the boy face the same charges of sexually harassing the girl and depriving her of parental care.
The girl had spent some time at the boy’s house. During her stay, the girl met with the director and they had an affair.
Line chat messages featuring conversations between the girl and the director were also released to the public.
In the messages, the school director addressed the girl as “darling’’ and “dear wife’’. The girl also addressed him as “darling’’.
The girl and her mother have been placed under authorities’ care at a staterun youth welfare facility in Nakhon Ratchasima.
A source at the facility said the girl is slowly recovering from an emotional trauma.
Mr Nathaphop was previously accused of making indecent advances on another girl, 13, at the same school. The girl’s mother filed a charge against the school director with the police. He allegedly offered her 2,000 baht per time if she agreed to have sex with him, but the girl refused.