A piano teacher has been arrested for alleged indecent assault on a 10-year-old girl pupil at his music school in Phra Khanong Nua area of Bangkok's Watthana district.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) arrested Veeranan Lerdpanyaroj, 43, alias “Khru Ju”, at 77 Musical, a music school on Soi Sukhumvit 77 in Phra Khanong Nua, Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, an MPB chief investigator, said on Wednesday.
The man was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court for alleged indecent assault on a child aged below 13 years, regardless of whether consent was given, by using force against a child unable to resist, and possession of child pornography for sexual exploitation.
Seized from his premises were a mobile phone, an iPad and a notebook computer with more than 1,000 child pornography videos, condoms, emergency birth-control pills and a tube of lubricant gel. The condoms, pills and gel were found in a classroom, according to police.
During the raid on Tuesday, the accused teacher was found lying naked and masturbating in his bedroom inside the school, according to the arresting team.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said the mother of a 10-year-old girl told police that her daughter enrolled for piano lessons at 77 Musical, located inside a department store building near her school. Her piano lessons were on Fridays.
She was waiting to pick up her daughter, when the girl ran crying from the music school. She was gripped with fear. Her daughter alleged that the music teacher touched her private parts. She immediately took her child home and filed a complaint with Phra Khanong police. (continues below)
The suspect's mobile phone shows what police said is evidence of child pornography. (Photo: Metropolitan Police Bureau's IDMB Facebook)
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said Mr Veeranan was the owner of the music school and a music teacher. He had introduced himself to the girl’s mother, saying he had a bachelor’s degree in music and a certificate in piano studies from abroad. She had subsequenty enrolled her daughter for private lessons once a week.
According to the victim's mother, her daughter said the accused teacher had first pressed his crotch up against her back when she was playing piano in January this year. He continued to do this every time she took a lesson.
In February, he allegedly forced her to lay down on the piano chair, removed her pants and performed an indecent act. The girl did not tell her mother at the time because she did not understand what the teacher was doing.
On May 17, he allegedly placed her hand inside his trousers. The girl was frightened and immediately pulled her hand away, according to the mother, and ran crying from the school. Her mother sought help from the police.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said police suspect there may be other victims who dared not tell their parents.
Mr Veeranan denied the charge of indecent assault, but admitted to possession of child pornography, according to poliice.
During questioning, he allegedly told police he graduated from university in the field of music, which had been his passion since he was about 10 years old. After graduation, he opened his own music school and 10 years later it was well known in the Phra Khanong area.
He now had 30-40 students from primary school to university level. He insisted he had not committed any indecent assault on the girl as accused.
He said the girl had made mistakes with her playing and became upset when he corrected her rhythm. He said she then made up the story against him.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradet said police had firm evidence against him.