The Korean pastor allegedly sexually abused eight girls over the past six years and gave their families money, rice and motorcycles. / Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Han-soo

A Korean pastor has been arrested in Cambodia for the alleged sexual abuse of eight girls from poor families who lived at his church in Siem Reap over the past six years, according to news reports.

The suspect was a 62-year-old Korean national surnamed Park, who represented a Christian church in Chung Kaosu village, local media reported, citing provincial police officers.

Police said the pastor had a long-term sexual relationship with the girls in return for providing their families with motorbikes and other items. Park was caught after provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection police raided his church on Thursday morning, according to the Khmer Times, a local English-language daily.

"He was the pastor and ran a church in Siem Reap," Col. Duong Thavry, chief of the provincial anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection unit, was quoted as saying in a report. "He allowed about 20 poor girls and their families to live with him and he supported them. But he sexually abused them and had sex with them on multiple occasions and bought motorbikes and other valuable things for them."

The victims' ages vary from 11 to 16, the investigator said. They were moved to a safe place, according to Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), an NGO that hunts pedophiles and tipped off police to this case.