Two arrested for duping teenagers into prostitution
Two arrested for duping teenagers into prostitution
JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta police detectives have arrested two senior high school girls for allegedly duping a number of other teenage girls into prostitution.
The young panderers, identified as Mona Lestari, 16, and Upik Oiriah, alias Upay, 20, were arrested on Thursday evening following a report from a parent of one of the victims, Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Murawi Effendi told reporters on Saturday.
"We're still looking after a number of their accomplices who also played a significant role in this sex business," said head of the Central Jakarta criminal investigation unit Maj. Charles Marpaung, who accompanied Murawi at the press conference.
Among their victims were a 12-year-old junior high school student.
The suspected panderers studied in different high schools in Central Jakarta, but rented the same room in a house on Jl. Kramat Sawah. Mona is a junior, while Upay is a senior.
Charles said the police have received similar reports from at least five victims, aged between 12 to 20 years old.
Based on the confessions made by the suspects and the testimony of the victims, Charles said that Mona and Upay always took a commission from customers ranging from Rp 30,000 to Rp 50,000 (US$13.75 and $23) per girl.
Customers paid them between Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000 for each session with one of the girls, Charles said. "They have run this illicit business for around one year," he explained.
During police questioning some of the young women confessed that their customers are old men, who only required "touching and rubbing".
The two young panderers were arrested at their rented room following the report made by a parent, whose 14-year-old daughter, identified only as A, was one of the victims.
The 14-year-old reportedly met Mona in Salemba when she was on her way to her neighbor's house to borrow some money to buy medicine needed by her ailing mother.
Mona then gave her Rp 150,000 under the condition that she accompany her in the evening to meet Upay at an entertainment site in Ancol, North Jakarta.
When A arrived there, Upay introduced her to a man, whom she said forced her to have sex.
When she returned home the next day, A told her mother what happened and she reported the incident to the police.
"We will probably send both of the young pandering suspects to the Pondok Bambu women's penitentiary in Tangerang pending further legal processing because we have no special jail for females here," said Murawi.(bsr)