Family Says Bogor Child Molester Had Repeatedly Abused Victim

Police have arrested a man suspected of molesting a 12-year-old boy in Ciampea district, Bogor, West Java. The perpetrator is alleged to have carried out the abuse four times. Entin Martini, a victim support worker, said the perpetrator had been close to the victim for several years and began the abuse during that period. “Actually, the closeness that led to the abuse started from when he was in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade of primary school, and it was done four times,” Entin said on Thursday. The perpetrator allegedly molested the victim at his place of business. Entin said the victim has become more withdrawn and lacks self-confidence as a result of the incident. “He is much quieter now, just stays silent, and feels a lack of self-confidence. We have also provided psychological support,” she said. The perpetrator used the pretext of lending a mobile phone to lure the victim. “The picture is that an adult man enticed him by offering to lend him a mobile phone and took him to his place of business. That is where the abuse occurred,” Entin said. She added that the perpetrator also recorded the abuse and sent the recording to the victim’s parents. The victim had never spoken about the abuse, and the crime was only uncovered after the recording was sent to the parents. “Not at all. There was no story, and it was uncovered only because of the chat from the perpetrator,” she said. The perpetrator remains under police examination, and officers are still questioning several witnesses in the case. “The person has been detained, but we are still within the initial 24-hour examination period, so we have not yet determined his status. We are still processing this and examining witnesses,” said Head of the PPA/PPO Unit at Bogor Police, AKP Silfi Adi Putri.