The arrest warrant was issued by Phang Nga Provincial Court late last night, Thai Muang Police Chief Col Weerayuth Sitthirattanakul told The Phuket News today (July 2).
The warrant was issued quickly as officers believe Supasak is already trying to flee arrest or interfere with evidence, he said.
Supasak is wanted for molesting a 13-year-old* student in his car in an incident that the girl video recorded on her mobile phone.
The girl later shared the video with a friend to ask what she should do about it. The video was later posted online, and went viral.
A team of officers brought the girl, accompanied by relatives, to Thai Muang Police Station yesterday (July 1), Col Weerayuth said.
Questioning continued into the night, with officers filing an urgent request for Phang Nga Court to immediately issue a warrant for Supasak’s arrest.
Their request was granted.
After questioning, the girl’s relatives took her back home, but has since been taken into care at the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Family, Col Weerayuth confirmed.
Supasak faces a charge under Section 279 of the Criminal Code, which states: Whoever, commits an indecent act on a child not yet over 15 years of age, whether such child shall consent or not, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or fined not exceeding B20,000, or both.
The Section adds: If the commission of the offence according to the first paragraph, the offender commits it by threatening by any means whatever, by doing any act of violence, by taking advantage of such child being in the condition of inability to resist, or by causing such child to mistake him for another person, the offender shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or fined not exceeding B30,000, or both.
However, police confirmed that Supask will also be charged under Section 285, which states: If committing the offence under Section 276, Section 277 bis, Section 277 ter, Section 278, Section 279, Section 280, Section 282 or Section 283 to be act against the descendant, pupil under taken oneself's care, person under oneself's control according to oneself official authority, or person under oneself's tutorship, guardianship or courtship, such offender shall be punished by the heavier punishment then that as prescribed in that Section by one-third.
Police this morning went to Supasak’s house in Thung Maphrao, but nobody was found, Col Weerayuth said.
“Police assume that the suspect has fled, and his family members have also moved out of the area,” he added.
“Police have sent copies of the arrest warrant to other police stations in the area in order to catch him. Those who involved with his molesting will be later prosecuted as well,” he warned.
Col Weerayuth said that items of evidence had already been obtained from the girl, including her mobile phone, to check how she and Supasak came to know each other, and contacted each other.
Phang Nga Governor Siripat Pattanakul told the press that police were now hunting the suspect.
Supasak is partially paralysed down his right side., but he can walk and talk, Governor Siripat said.
“From questioning, police have determined that the girl and her sister were both molested,” he said.
“We were also told that the suspect treated the girl and her sister very well,” he added.
The girl and the sister live together with their grandmother, and before any of the molestations took place, Supasak had explained to the grandmother that he had been to see a traditional Chinese medical therapist nine times, and was suggested to find a girl to hug and kiss to alleviate his partial paralysis, Gov Siripat told reporters.
Both girls knew about Supsak’s “condition”, but did not suspect that he would force himself on them, he said.
“Police will later question the grandmother to see if this is a case of human trafficking,” he said.
* Not 14 years old, as originally reported.