Another pupil, 13, accuses Nathaphop of sex harassment

Another pupil, 13, accuses Nathaphop of sex harassment

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The state-school director in Bua Yai district under probe for allegedly having an affair with a 14-year-old student faces a further summons after another student accused him of sexually harassing her.

The girl, 13, was escorted yesterday by her mother to file a complaint with Bua Yai police against Nathaphop Boonthongtho, 51, director of Wat Ban Patong Tha Neon Samakkhee School in this district.

The mother told police that her daughter had been sexually harassed by the same man. She is a Mathayom Suksa 2 (Grade 8) student of the same class as the 14-year-old girl who allegedly had an affair with the principal.

According to the mother, Mr Nathaphop offered his daughter a ride before the New Year holidays.

While she was in his car, he began touching her hands, arms and legs and propositioned her to have sex with him, the mother said.

He allegedly offered her 2,000 baht per time if she agreed to have sex with him, but the girl refused.

Mr Nathaphop was previously accused of having an affair with a 14-year-old Mathathom Suksa 2 student at the same school. He failed to show up to hear the charge after a summons was served.

The scandal came to light after a police complaint was lodged by Praiwan Haithong, the mother of an ex-boyfriend of the girl, accusing Mr Nathaphop of sexually abusing the girl.

Line chat messages featuring conversations between the girl and the director were also released to the public.

In the messages, the school director addressed the girl as "darling'' and "dear wife''. The girl also addressed him as "darling''.

Mr Nathapop and the girl have both disappeared since the allegations surfaced.

Pol Col Arkhom Boonsod, superintendent of Bua Yai police, said a police committee handling the first case against the accused director came up with the same findings as those of an education panel looking into the case.

Mr Nathaphop faces charges of abducting a minor for obscene purposes, and sexual harassment of a girl aged under 15.

An additional charge of defamation was also pressed against him for allegedly accusing the girl's ex-boyfriend of selling drugs.

Police investigators will summon related parties for questioning, the station chief said.

Pol Col Arkhom promised to ensure justice to all sides.

Provincial governor Wichian Chantharanothai yesterday also ordered officials from the Education Ministry's Provincial Semarak Centre, which handles youth-related problems, to locate the girl's whereabouts.

The girl will be placed under a mental rehabilitation programme and will be asked to provide a statement to investigators, Mr Wichian said.

In a separate case, a Chumphon-based school director insisted the school would not take serious disciplinary action against a group of 17 Mathayom Suksa 2 students accused of attempting to gang-rape three Mathayom Suksa 1 students at a hotel in Lang Suan district on Jan 4.

The school's name was not disclosed.

The director said the school had issued warnings to the accused students, as it wanted any legal action to be left to the discretion of the police.

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