A royal Cambodian Armed Forces colonel was locked in pre-trial detention yesterday after being arrested and charged with raping his 16-year-old maid in a guesthouse, court officials told the Post.

Police arrested Or Kehoeun, 53, a resident of Siem Reap town’s Svay Dangkum commune, after allegations from his maid and her family that he took her to a guesthouse and raped her last Tuesday night.

Siem Reap Provincial Court prosecutor Ty Sovinthal said police had detained Kehoeun in Banteay Meanchey province after earlier questioning from an investigating judge in which the suspect had given answers “consistent with the victim’s claims”.

This, however, did not amount to a confession from Kehoeun, Sovinthal added.

“Based on the law,” he said, “if he has done as accused, the landlord is guilty of raping his maid even if she has consented.”

According to Chea Heng, deputy director of Siem Reap provincial police’s anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department, the alleged victim told investigating officers that Kehoeun had taken her to the Chamrong Chamroeun guesthouse in Ta Phol village last Tuesday where he forced her to have sexual intercourse with him.

She also accused him of trying to force her to perform oral sex on him.

The victim has demanded $5,000 in compensation from Kehoeun, who will be detained in custody until his trial at a date yet to be decided.

Sovinthal said court officials were not yet aware of the RCAF unit Kehoeun worked in.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Sarom at [email protected]