Nathaphop Boonthongtho, director of Patong Thanoen Samakkhi School in Bua Yai was accompanied by his lawyer when he arrived at Bua Yai Police Station around 10:15am today (Jan 31).
The embattled headmaster smiled as he reported to the police investigators, answering the second summons to acknowledge the charges. He was being held for interrogation.
Nathaphop, 51, is also being investigated by an education panel for gross disciplinary violation after he was accused of having sex with a 14-year-old Mathayom 2 (Grade 8) girl student at his school.
The sex scandal was exposed when angry local residents and members of the school committee released copies of Line chat messages on the girl’s mobile phone.
In the messages, Nathaphop addressed the girl as “darling’’ and “dear wife’’. Local residents also saw him out with the girl on several occasions.
Police initially pressed charges of taking a minor away from her parents for obscene purposes, and defamation. They had yet to press a charge of sexual abuse, because they first had to compile the evidence and question the girl.
The school director will also face another summons. Another student at the same school has accused him of sexually harassing her.
The girl, 13, was taken by her mother last Saturday (Jan 27) to file a complaint against Nathapop.
Her mother told police that Nathaphop offered her daughter a ride before the New Year holidays.
While she was in the car, he allegedly began touching her hands, arms and legs and tried to persuade her to have sex with him, but the girl refused.
Read original story here.