Mother faces human trafficking charge for pimping daughter

SARABURI — The mother of a 13-year-old girl was arrested on a human-trafficking charge for securing her daughter for prostitution after the youngster was found to be pregnant.

The unidentified parent, a waitress at a karaoke bar in Wihan Daeng district, was apprehended on Tuesday after her daughter visited a public health clinic for a pregnancy check. She was six months pregnant, Thai media reported Wednesday.

Clinic workers became more concerned when the girl could not say who fathered the baby. They contacted a local social development and human security office and other agencies to investigate.

Investigators found that her mother, a Nong Khae district resident, often took the girl to her bar and sold her for sexual services there and at nearby hotels. Sometime during the girl's 35 encounters, she became pregnant, police said during a news conference on Wednesday.

Her pregnant daughter was placed under the care of the provincial social development and human security office.

Facing human trafficking charges, the mother broke into tears and apologised for her actions. She claimed she needed money to support her family as there were many mouths to feed.