American citizen Danny Pope was arrested Monday for "soliciting child prostitution," among other charges, at a suspected child prostitution den in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The 59-year-old was in a private room at the establishment when the raid was conducted Saturday morning.
Five young girls, three of whom were minors, were also found inside the two-story building during the raid as mentioned above. Outside the building, a sign declaring 24-hour massage services at $2.47 (10,000 Cambodia Riel) is prominently exhibited.
The raid came after two days' surveillance of Pope in the child sex brothel which had been fronting as a "massage parlor."
At the police station where he was brought in for questioning, the North Carolina resident said he had been giving one of the minors $100 a month. The money was purportedly for "food and clothes."
When asked whether he had given any of the other girl's money, he denied it.
"No, just her."
Notably, after being questioned, Pope was taken back to the "massage parlor," Srey Nean, dressed in his black checkered shirt with a black hat on, and then to his rented place with a police escort.
There is no word though about whether the American was also questioned about his social media account. His profile is said to show images of him along with different Asian children over what appears to be a significant period of years.
Besides being charged with child prostitution, the American tourist was also up for other charges---that of "rape" and "aggravating circumstances." This is according to a statement from the Anti-Human Trafficking and Minor Protection Office.
A representative from the said Office expounded that an investigation by the Anti-Human Trafficking and Minor Protection Office had been conducted regarding Pope's case and his subsequent detention, for his involvement in the aforementioned child prostitution case.
He confirmed the raid on the Srey Neang massage parlor was conducted on the evening March 2, under the command of Lieutenant Seth Thorn and the Police Commissioner of Phnom Penh. Facilitating the conduct of the operation was the Prosecutor of the Trial Monitoring, Keo Sothea, while it was led by the Deputy Commissioner General Chun Kakamon of the Counter-Trafficking and Minority Protection Office of the Police.
The police department is preparing the case for prosecution. In the meantime, the Statesville, NC resident remains under police custody.
In Cambodia, sex tourism is a burgeoning industry, and it is especially known for its child sex trade. It is said that, early in the twenty-first century, a fourth of all foreign visitors to the Asian country go there for that alone.
It is a land where "pedophiles" are said to be "ending a childhood," Don Brewster, a former church man, described. However, according to him, it is not "a life" that is ended, but a "childhood."
