According to the police, one of the suspects, a 19-year-old male who goes by the initial I, recently met the victim through Facebook. He quickly convinced her of his romantic interest towards her – albeit one that comes with a malicious ulterior motive.
On Dec. 15, the suspect met up with the victim and forced drinks on her before raping her. He then conspired with his friends, 19-year-old S and his underage wife L, to sell the 14-year-old into prostitution.
"The suspects [advertised the victim] on MiChat, and then sold her," Bandung Police Crime Investigation Unit Chief Rudi Trihandoyo said yesterday. The messaging app is synonymous with sex work in Indonesia.
The victim reportedly served 20 male clients in the several days that she was under the suspects' control.
The victim's father reported her missing to the police in the following days. They then learned that she was being promoted for sex work via MiChat.
On Dec. 22, with the father present, the police set up a sting operation using MiChat and located the girl at a boarding home. Police soon arrested the three suspects, with one other accomplice still on the run.
All three suspects have been charged with rape and/or forcing a minor into prostitution, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Sadly, there have been numerous reports of sexual violence against children in Indonesia in recent weeks, including the arrest of a serial child rapist who taught at an Islamic boarding school.
Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/14-y-o-bandung-girl-raped-and-sold-into-prostitution