The trio were convicted over their roles in supplying a hotel in Tambon Jong Kham of Muang Mae Hong Son with sex workers aged 15 to 18, as well as some girls under 15, from to The two madams, Piyawan Sukmak, 27, and Piyathas Parpthiensuwan, 31, were each sentenced to years in jail, while former cop Senior Sgt-Major Yutthachai Thongchat, 43, received a year jail term. Kalaya Wutthikhun, 41, got a year term.
The first three were also ordered to each pay Bt, in compensation to the victims, while Kalaya must pay Bt, compensation. The sentences will be added to jail terms already handed down in the first case on April The April ruling found eight defendants, including Piyawan, Piyathas, Yutthachai and Kalaya, guilty of human trafficking, underage prostitution and other charges, and sentenced them to jail terms ranging from eight to years.
They will actually serve no more than 50 years behind bars, the maximum penalty for their crimes. Yutthachai had worked at the Nam Piang Din Police Station but was fired when the scandal broke last year.
Eight other cops in the province were also dismissed after being implicated as customers of underage sex workers.
The case came to light when the year-old mother of one teenage victim filed a police complaint. Frustrated by a lack of progress after six months of investigation, she contacted media to expose the prostitution racket. Many state officials were subsequently implicated for purchasing sex services from minors. Many of the children reportedly had owl identification tattoos on their chests.
