Another website owner arrested over child sex trafficking case

The owner of another website has been arrested in connection with the case of selling a 15-year-old girl online for sexual exploitation.

The arrested website owner has published the advertisement made to sell the girl, Police said.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has made the arrest in the Battaramulla area.

Investigations have revealed that at least 04 websites have published the relevant advertisement.

A total of 04 individuals connected to two of those websites have been arrested so far.

The Colombo Child & Women Bureau of Sri Lanka Police had launched an investigation into the procuration and exploitation of a 15-year-old girl, based on a complaint received by the Mount Lavinia Police last month.

Probes into the matter led to the arrest of more than 30 suspects.

The perpetrators had posted several advertisements online and sold the teen to third parties for a period of three months. Over a dozen of the suspects in custody had procured the girl for sexual exploitation, according to the law enforcement authorities.

Among the arrestees are the mother of the victimized teen, the vice-chairman of Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha, vehicle drivers, the man who designed the advertisement and a saffron-robed person, a captain of a ship, several crew members, a gem merchant, three owners of websites that had published the advertisement, former Maldivian State Minister Mohamed Ashmalee, the manager of the hotel used by the perpetrators to exploit the teen, a cardiologist of a well-known hospital and surgeon of Sri Lanka Navy.

Meanwhile, reports revealed that the girl’s mother was released on two personal bails each valued at Rs. 1 million.

Further, the additional magistrate has directed the Child & Women Bureau to apprehend all suspects linked to the crime regardless of their status.