A Kampong Cham fortune teller was charged on Friday with sexually abusing nine boys ranging in age from 15 to 17, police said yesterday.

According to Cheung Prey district police chief Keo Seang Hant, 33-year-old Ly Vanny was arrested on Thursday night after police received complaints from several families.

“He lured the underage boys in the village by hiring them to help him with housework in his rental house and then abused them. After we questioned him and got the statements from all the victims, he admitted that he did it,” Seang Hant said.

According to police and a neighbour, Vanny had moved to the village just months before his arrest, and had launched a steady business by promising customers he could make people fall in love with them.

“Before, we thought that he must be a good fortune teller, because there are so many customers who went to his home, but in fact he was cheating people and abusing underage boys,” neighbour Chan Pros said.