Beware of child sexual abuse tactics in Vietnam.

Over the five-year period (2011-2015), the country detected over 8,200 cases of child abuse, involving nearly 10,000 victims, an increase of 258 victims compared to the previous five-year period. Sexual abuse cases accounted for 5,300 cases (approximately 65%), with an increase in sexual abuse of male children.

Security guard sexually abuses elementary school students.

On the afternoon of March 30, responding to the press, the commander of the Muong Khuong District Police (Lao Cai province) stated that the investigative agency had initiated legal proceedings and detained Do Van Nam (35 years old, a security guard at the La Pan Tan Ethnic Boarding Primary School in Muong Khuong district) - who was accused of sexually abusing several girls at the school.

According to initial statements, from 2014 until the time of his arrest, Nam, taking advantage of his position as a security guard at La Pan Tan Ethnic Boarding Primary School, sexually assaulted several students from grades 1-5, mostly ethnic minorities. To carry out his heinous acts, the man used snacks, candy, milk, etc., to lure the children into his security guard room before committing the offenses.

Do Van Nam at the investigative agency. Photo:Tuan Hieu.

Seven days earlier, the incident came to light when Mr. Cao A Củi, the principal of La Pan Tẩn boarding primary school, informed the press that many female students at the school had recently been exhibiting strange behavior. Several students had stopped attending school and absolutely refused to come back.

"The girls revealed that they had been sexually abused by security guard Nam many times; some were abused for three years, but were too afraid to report it," Mr. Cui said.

Upon learning of the incident, the school administration, in coordination with the parents of these students, reported Nam's behavior to the authorities. According to the authorities, Nam moved to Lao Cai in 2005 and has been working as a security guard at La Pan Tan boarding primary school for a long time.

He sexually abused male children and then uploaded the videos online.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Phong, from the High-Tech Crime Prevention Police Department (Ministry of Public Security), warned that traditional crimes are increasingly shifting to high-tech operations, especially child sexual abuse.

"With 31% of Vietnam's population using Facebook, the risk of children being abused through images disseminated by their own relatives is an alarming reality," Mr. Phong shared.

A typical case illustrating the shift of child sexual abuse crimes to the internet is the arrest of Nguyen Tran Bao Anh (21 years old, from Long An province) by police for disseminating obscene materials in early 2015.

Previously, the Criminal Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) discovered a website managed by Bao Anh, with its server located abroad, that disseminated obscene content, mostly consisting of pornographic clips and images of sexual intercourse with children.

Bao Anh with the equipment used to distribute obscene materials. Photo: The investigating agency provided the information.

Police determined that the website contained approximately 1,300 child pornography videos and nearly 700 photos of male homosexuals. Members wishing to view the clips and photos on the site had to pay a virtual currency fee. This virtual currency was exchanged by the administrators via phone cards or bank transfers.

Authorities determined that the amount of money transacted through Bao Anh's account and accounts he had others hold was over 900 million VND. The young man from Long An province confessed to personally profiting approximately 200 million VND from managing the forum and buying and selling child pornography. Bao Anh also admitted to sexually abusing three male children at the places where he rented accommodation.

Speaking to Zing.vn, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Binh, Deputy Head of Department 9, Criminal Police Department (C45, Ministry of Public Security), said that during a search of Bao Anh's residence, police seized many photos he had taken of himself naked with young children (7-9 years old) in Vietnam. A representative from C45 confirmed that this is the first time the investigative agency has recorded a crime involving the sexual abuse of male children followed by the posting of videos and photos online in the country.

Regarding this case, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has transferred the file to the People's Procuratorate of Duc Hoa District (Long An Province) for that agency to prosecute Nguyen Tran Bao Anh according to its jurisdiction.

Foreign musician sexually abuses male children.

A few months after the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Public Security arrested Bao Anh, the Hanoi Police also received information about a foreigner named Ben (Canadian nationality) who frequently appeared in the Hoan Kiem Lake area, luring boys aged 13-15 to his home to commit acts of sexual abuse.

Ben is currently a teacher at an English language center located in My Dinh 1 ward, Nam Tu Liem district. In the evenings, the 44-year-old man often plays music at a bar in Hoan Kiem district to earn extra income.

Whenever the need arose, Ben would wait 24 hours before riding his motorbike around Hoan Kiem Lake, searching for homeless boys to approach and entice. One of Ben's victims was Nam (15 years old, from Hai Duong province).

Nam dropped out of school after the 6th grade. Since 2013, he has been working odd jobs in Hanoi, living a nomadic life. While strolling around Hoan Kiem Lake, Nam met Ben.

The foreign man proactively befriended the 15-year-old boy. He used a phone with English-Vietnamese translation software to chat and inquire about the boy's circumstances. Knowing that Nam had no place to stay, Ben invited him to his rented room on Tran Phu Street (Ba Dinh District). After giving Nam food and drink, Ben propositioned and sexually assaulted the victim.

While wandering around the Hoan Kiem area (Hanoi), Ben would often entice young boys selling newspapers or shining shoes to his rented room to play, and then commit acts of sexual abuse against them.

Besides Nam, authorities also have documents proving that Ben sexually abused two other underage victims from Hanoi and Bac Ninh. According to the victims, after each abuse, Ben would give them between 100,000 and 300,000 VND.

Police identified Ben's real name as Vadim Scott Benderman (45 years old, Canadian citizen). During the investigation, authorities arrested the foreign national.

In early 2016, the Hanoi People's Court held a closed-door trial of Vadim Scott Benderman, sentencing the foreign man to four years in prison for child molestation. The prosecution argued that Benderman's actions harmed the children's physical and psychological development, negatively impacted public morality, and disrupted social order.

According to Zing.vn