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Published on November 14, 2007

At Thanyaburi Provincial Court, Judge Samart Ardnarong presided over the verdict in a case filed against Chalerm by five girls - three under 15 and two over 15.

The court said Chalerm was clearly guilty. He was a well-known person who knew his actions were illegal and his appeal did not carry sufficient weight to clear him.

In 2002 the Criminal Court found Chalerm guilty of four counts of statutory rape from November 2000 to January 2001 and sentenced him to four years in prison on each count. Chalerm posted Bt1 million in assets as bail.

The Appeals Court in 2005 added 20 years - five for each of four counts of molestation that the lower court had not factored into its punishment - to Chalerm's 16-year sentence.

He had been freed on Bt2.5 million bail pending his final appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Nation

PATHUM THANI