PETALING JAYA: The alleged sexual groomer who had been serving as a soup kitchen volunteer has been arrested according to a victim's father.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the father thanked the police for their quick action.

“PDRM arrested the bloody pervert who has been messaging my daughter,” the father said in his post.

The Star is trying to get confirmation from the police.

The sexual grooming of underage girls first came to light when Kembara Kitchen founder William Cheah felt something amiss after a 14-year-old soup kitchen volunteer told him she did not want to work with a certain 36-year-old male volunteer.

Last Wednesday (Nov 7), after Cheah exposed the man’s inappropriate messages on Facebook, at least 10 women stepped forward to say that they too had been harassed by the same man as far back as 2003.

The man, who is an executive with a building managing company, deactivated his Facebook profile when Cheah’s exposé went viral.

Selangor police opened an investigation into the case following the exposé by The Star.

Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said police had received one report so far.

“We received a report from a 13-year-old student at the Batu 9 Cheras police station on Nov 8,” he told The Star.

“The girl claims that in July 2017, between 3pm and 4pm, while she was at a canine swimming centre in Ulu Langat, she met the suspect in his 30s,” he said, adding that the girl had gone there with her father to learn first-aid from the volunteers of an NGO.

“After two days, the man sent several messages to her through social media, saying that the girl looked grown up for her age.

“The man also invited the girl out for a meal but she declined.

“Since then, the man has been constantly sending messages to the girl, asking how she is,” said SAC Fadzil, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 12 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act for child grooming.

He said anyone found guilty of such crimes could face a maximum five-year jail term and whipping.

SAC Fadzil urged witnesses and victims who have faced a similar situation to come forward immediately. Those with information can contact the police hotline at 03-2052 9999 or visit the nearest police station.