[Eugen80]

A former monk is arrested as police unwind a sordid web of sex, lies and black magic

A former monk has been arrested on charges of luring schoolgirls into having sex with him in exchange for performing superstitious rites that were supposed to enhance the girls' beauty and charm.

The parents of four girls, aged 13 or 14, filed a complaint with the Anti-Human Trafficking Division on June 25 saying their daughters were sexually abused by a man claiming to be a fortune-teller and a practitioner of black magic.

The girls are students at a school on Phutthamonthon Sai 3 road in Nong Khang Phlu area.

Not far from their school is a two-storey building which the girls would visit often _ Samnak Mor Doo Natthari, or House of Fortune-Teller Natthari, as the sign outside the front door proclaimed.

For these young girls, Samnak Mor Doo Natthari allegedly became a lurid alternative to a beauty clinic.

Songwut Charoenkhunchai, 57, had been in the monkhood for 14 years and had learned astrology from a monk before starting up a black magic and fortune-telling business of his own.

Police say Mr Songwut used his practice to lure in female students, claiming they needed to perform certain rituals to get rid of their bad luck or correct their kam kao (indecent deeds committed in previous lives) to remove hindrances to becoming more beautiful.

Police acted swiftly after receiving the parents' complaints, concerned that more students would become victims.

"This case is not complicated, but it has an important effect on society," said the Anti-Human Trafficking Division's 1st region superintendent Pol Col Chittaphop Tomuean, who led the investigation into the accusations.

Pol Col Chittaphop divided his investigators into two groups. The first group looked into alleged irregularities at the fortune-teller's place, while the other interrogated the four victims in the presence of their parents, psychologists and social workers.

Soon they identified the suspect as Mr Songwut, who had been running Samnak Mor Doo Natthari in Nong Khang Phlu for more than 10 years.

Pol Col Chittaphop said his customers included female students of many schools in the area.

The girls would follow their friends to Mr Songwut's house after learning from them that the black magic practitioner could help increase their charms.

After securing a court warrant for the arrest of Mr Songwut, Pol Col Chittaphop's team conducted a sting operation, using a female police officer disguised as a customer to keep a watch on him and gather more evidence of wrongdoing.

When the female officer was certain that Mr Songwut performed beauty-enhancing rites that corresponded to the accusations against him, she signalled for her colleagues to raid his house.

"He was arrested in front of three female students who were queuing up for the rite," said Pol Col Chittaphop.

At his house, police said they found nude photos, sex toys, condoms, lubricant gels and pornographic DVDs. They also found white clothes used when performing the rites.

"I think what I've done is not wrong," Police quoted Mr Songwut as saying. "I don't lure or force them [to have sex]."

Police say Mr Songwut claims he let the girls decide themselves whether they were willing to take off their clothes.

As for having sex with the girls, police quote Mr Songwut as saying that the acts were performed in accordance with "the science of the rite", aimed at bolstering the power of the magic.

Pol Col Chittaphop accused Mr Songwut of luring girls into sleeping with other men.

Mr Songwut allegedly acted as a broker, delivering the girls to his customers for between 3,000 and 4,000 baht.

"His customers ranged from businessmen to police and soldiers," Pol Col Chittaphop said. Police say Mr Songwut confessed to wrongdoing after undergoing an overnight interrogation by police.

He faces rape and human trafficking charges. Having sex with girls below the age of consent of 15 years is considered statutory rape according to Thai law.

Police are now on alert for other fortune-tellers offering similar services. Pol Col Chittaphop has told officers to keep an eye on fortune-tellers operating near schools.