KHON KAEN — Hundreds of boys may have been victimized by an HIV-infected soldier now under arrest in Khon Kaen province, according to a police colonel investigating the case.
Col. Athiwit Kamolrat of the anti-trafficking force said Friday they have identified 28 potential victims of 43-year-old Sgt. Maj. Chakkrit Komsing, who so far has been accused of blackmailing and raping dozens of teenage boys.
He said there could be as many as 150 victims in Bangkok and 76 in several northeastern provinces, based on the suspect’s social media records. Athiwit said investigators are working to validate whether the content is authentic, as some of it may have been fabricated.
Read: HIV-Infected Soldier Accused of Raping Scores of Teenagers
Investigators have questioned the 14-year-old victim whose accusation led to Chakkrit’s arrest. Athiwit said a team of child protection experts have begun approaching other identified potential victims.
“We’re worried about them. We believe that all boys in Khon Kaen would’ve learned about the case by now,” he said. “Experts will talk to them one by one to see if they’ve had any relations with the accused or not.”
Police yesterday said Chakkrit, who’s been relieved of duty after eight months assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Division at the Prem Tinsulanonda Military Fort, left a trail of potential evidence on social media of abuse of up to 75 boys aged 13 to 18.
Chakkrit has been charged with six counts including raping minors and blackmail. Athiwit said Chakkrit has denied all allegations.
Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn said Chakkrit tested positive for HIV in 2009 and has been receiving treatment since 2015. Surachate said he’s believed to have committed similar crimes in many provinces, including when he was posted to Bangkok.
Both police and the army, through a spokeswoman, said today that they still don’t have information about how long Chakkrit had been enlisted and where else he has been assigned.
According to police, the victim said Chakkrit posed as a young student in fake social media profiles, saying he would give him 5,000 baht a month and buy him a mobile phone if he agreed to have a relationship with him.
The victim told police that Chakkrit used explicit photos and videos they exchanged online for blackmail, forcing him to meet and then raping him multiple times in a car.
Police also said they found a camera installed inside the car, suggesting he might have filmed the assaults to use for further blackmail.
Athiwit said victims and their parents who wish to file charges can now do so at the Nampong Police Station, which is about 40 kilometers from Khon Kaen City.
