Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for selling three underage girls to clients for sex at a price of $1,500 to $2,000.
Presiding Judge Seng Leang identified the man as Diep Tem, 53, also known as Ta Kare, a motorbike taxi driver from the Por Senchey district.
He said Mr Tem was convicted of the act of selling, buying or exchanging a person with purpose.
According to a police report, on October 5 last year the accused brought a girl, 16, to have sex with a man for $2,000 for three days at a guesthouse in Por Senchey district’s Kakab commune.
For this work, Mr Tem received $600 as commission from the girl and another $300 commission from the client.
On the morning of October 12, Mr Tem brought two other girls, aged 16 and 17, for sex with wealthy men in Por Senchey district’s Kakab commune again.
He was then arrested by municipal anti-human trafficking police. After his arrest, police rescued the girls.
During his trial last month, Mr Tem said that, before his arrest, he had driven many karaoke girls from Karaoke bars in Por Senchey district to have sex with clients at guesthouses.
He was only paid from $5 to $10 by each person for his driving service, he claimed.
