An alleged rapist has been taken into police custody on a charge of raping an underage schoolgirl in Bangkok’s Thung Mahamek area.

Yesterday’s arrest of the 40-year-old suspect, identified only as “Wisanu”, follows the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on February 9th.  He was found at his girlfriend’s condominium in the Taopoon area of Bang Sue district.

Pol Maj-Gen Thiradet Thumsutee, the investigative commander of the Metropolitan Police, told the media today that the suspect has served prison terms on three similar charges and was released last year.

He said that they became suspicious of Wisanu after the relatives of the victim filed a complaint with Thung Mahamek police, claiming that the 12-year-old girl was attacked by a man while she was entering her apartment in the Sathorn area on October 30th last year.

He said that the suspect worked as a taxi driver and would prey on schoolgirls as they were leaving school for home, adding that he believes several more girls may have been sexually assaulted by the same suspect, but they have been too ashamed to report to the police or fear reprisal from the suspect.

He advised parents of schoolgirls not to allow their children to travel home from school unaccompanied.