PUBLISHED : 28 Feb 2024 at 14:32
An alleged serial rapist who uses the name “Toey Bang Pho” and targets schoolgirls was arrested in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district on Wednesday.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) took 40-year-old “Toey” into custody in the elevator of a condominium building in the Tao Poon area. His real name was given only as Wissanu.
Police said Mr Wissanu was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Feb 9 on charges of intruding into a house and raping a child aged below 13 years, regardless of whether consent was given.
The arresting team was led by Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, the MPB chief investigator.
According to police, the suspect had raped at least four schoolgirls. There were other victims who had not filed police complaints.
He had first been arrested on a rape charge on Sept 7, 2017. He had followed one student and masqueraded as the driver of a hired vehicle. He picked up the student from school and instead of taking her home drove another route and parked under the Krung Thon Bridge, or Sang Hi, where he punched her in her stomach and raped her.
He was later arrested and sentenced to prison. Since his release his alleged victims included a 12-year-old girl on Oct 30 last year Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said.
Mr Wissanu had hidden near the fire escape of the residential building in Bangkok’s Sathon district where the student lived. When she returned home alone after school, he allegedly foillowed her up to her room.
When she opened the room door he came up behind her, allegedly placed his hand over her mouth and dragged her inside, closing the door. He then raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone, the girl told police.
A relative of the girl arrived at the room, she shouted for help and the suspect fled.
The relative took the girl to file a complaint with Thung Mahamek police. Investigators identified her attacker as Mr Wissanu, aka Toey Bang Pho. Police obtained a court warrant, tracked him down and arrested him.
Police said Mr Wissanu was in hiding in his girlfriend’s condominium room, in the building where he was arrested in an elevator.
During initial questioning, Mr Wissanu denied all charges. He said he was a former civil servant and he liked children, according to police. He also claimed that in all the previous cases against him, the sex was consensual, Thai media reported.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said police did not believe him. The suspect was a repeat offender after being released from jail and fell into the category of “serial rapist’’, the chief investigator said.
He believed there were more victims who had not dared to file complaints. He urged them to come forward. They could contact investigators via the IDMB Facebook page, where officers were available to give advice around-the-clock.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, chief investigator of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, with the arrested suspect (white hat).. (Photo: IDMB Facebook)