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Bangkok police arrest rapist disguised as taxi driver

Image courtesy of KhaoSod

Bangkok police arrested a suspected Sex offenders in the RCA area, as Motorcycle taxi And sexual harassment of drunk womenHis arrest this morning led to increased police security measures in the area.

The suspect, 35-year-old Thanapath, was arrested on a June 10 warrant for rape, sexual assault and theft. He also faces charges of possession of child pornography.

His criminal record includes three previous convictions for a night-time theft in Phayao in 2008, a robbery in Phayao in 2012 and gambling in Bangkok in 2018. Authorities arrested Thanapath outside a bar in the RCA area of ​​Huai Khwang, Bangkok.

The investigation began when a Chinese woman, drunk after a night out at the RCA, requested a ride home through a taxi app. While she was waiting, she encountered Thanapath, who posed as her driver on a motorbike.

She believed him to be her driver and got in. She was taken to a well-known short-stay hotel in Rangnam, where she was sexually assaulted. She immediately reported the incident to Phaya Thai Police Station, and an arrest warrant was issued.

Police discovered that Thanapath would target women between 1am and 5am, the hours after nightspots closed. He would drive around restaurants looking for potential victims. Further investigation revealed that he continued this predatory behavior.

Danger for women

Aware of the danger to female tourists, police deployed a team to intensify patrol efforts in the RCA area.

At 5am today, investigators spotted Thanapath on his motorcycle displaying the same behavior as if he was looking for victims and promptly arrested him. Upon examining his phone, they found videos of at least five women being attacked.

Thanapath denied the allegations, claiming the women had consented to accompany him and that he did not use condoms because it affected his performance. He also stated that the other explicit videos on his phone were of women he had paid for services and who had allegedly consented to be filmed. He refused to cooperate further and stated that he would only testify in court.

After his arrest, Thanapath was handed over to Makkasan Police Station for prosecution. Thai police remain skeptical of his claims, citing his familiarity with investigation procedures due to previous arrests.

The evidence against Thanapath was strongly emphasized, as was the suspicion that these were unreported victims of assault who had not yet come forward with their allegations, KhaoSod reported.

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