A local journalist in Pursat was arrested and sent to court yesterday for questioning, preliminarily charged with the alleged rape of a 63-year-old widow in Phnom Kravanh district last week.

Phnom Kravanh district police chief Vorng Saveth said Sok Sorphoan, 36, a reporter for Damnoeng Kampuchea newspaper, was arrested on Saturday after the victim filed a complaint against him to Samrong commune police. Police claim that Sorphoan confessed.

Sorphoan tricked the victim into taking a motorbike into the district forests with him, pretending “to collect information about the illegal loggers’ activities”, Saveth said. “But after bringing her to a quiet place in the forest, he forcibly raped [her].”

If found guilty by the court, Sorphoan faces up to 10 years in prison.

Sorphoan and Seihak Techeas, vice prosecutor of Pursat provincial court, could not be reached for comment yesterday.