Police have arrested a 67-year-old man in the northern province of Lamphun for allegedly raping teenage boys who sought his “sin-removing” services.
The man, identified only as Paisarn, was arrested on Tuesday at a house in tambon Pak Bong of Pa Sang district after police received complaints from two young men, said Pol Lt Gen Nathasak Chaonasai, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).
One of the young men told police that he suffered from chronic headaches and had learned online about Mr Paisarn, who claimed to be able to cure illness through a “sin-removing” procedure.
When the young man visited Mr Paisarn on May 2 he was told to take part in a private rite claimed to be a part of the sin-removal process. On that occasion, he said, the elderly man raped him.
The other complainant told police that in February last year Mr Paisarn promised to treat the chronic backache of his mother, but he also claimed to see the young man was burdened by many sins.
Mr Paisarn told the young man’s parents to wait at a nearby restaurant while the young man entered his room for a “sin-removal” treatment. There the young man was allegedly raped.
During the arrest and subsequent searches, police found student yearbooks containing names and addresses in the suspect’s possession.
The suspect shared information from the yearbooks with his victims, claiming they were the names and addresses of the people whom his victims had offended in a past life, said Pol Maj Gen Patanasak Buphasuwan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division.
Victims had faith in the suspect when they discovered real people at the addresses the suspect gave them, police said.
Mr Paisarn reportedly started offering his fraudulent “sin-removing” services in 2023, telling people he could undo their past sins.
Police charged Mr Paisarn with raping and removing from parental care young people aged between 15 and 18. The offences carry a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to 400,000 baht.
Police believe there were many more people who were similarly victimised, Pol Lt Gen Nathasak said.
