Taekwondo trainer accused of raping boys

Pham Huynh Minh Thinh, 29, a local in Quang Ngai Town of the province, is under investigation for “raping people under 16,” police said Sunday.

Police said Thinh is chairman of several taekwondo clubs in the town’s Truong Quang Trong Ward.

Those clubs gathered more than 100 students, most of them were boys aged six to 16.

Aside from teaching martial arts, Thinh was an active teacher who organized activities for his students, like planting trees, and was trusted by many parents.

Recently, he was accused of sexually harassing several male students.

As police investigated him, they found he had raped some boys and filmed his behavior on several occasions.

Police are calling parents to cooperate as they expand the investigation.

Those charged with raping persons under 16 can receive a jail sentence of 7 to 15 years. They can get the death sentence for gang rape, if they cause serious physical or mental damage, or if the victim is less than 10 years old.