A Thai spiritual medium has been arrested for allegedly raping an autistic woman after telling her mother that the 21-year-old was his former lover in a previous life.
Pasriariyamatetrai Satjaputtabaramee, 55, was taken into custody Thursday in Bangkok after the woman’s mother — who was one of his followers — reported the alleged incident to police, according to Viral Press and local outlet The Thaiger.
He had told the mom that he and her daughter Pang had been lovers in a previous life.
The superstitious parent in the devout Buddhist country, where people believe in reincarnation, was glad to hear that her daughter was purportedly related to the spiritual guru.
When he went to pick Pang up at her home on July 25, he told the mother that he would drive her daughter around to jog her memory of their past relationship, according to the reports.
But he allegedly took her to a hotel and raped her in Nakhon Sawan province before returning her home about an hour later.
When Pang’s mother later bathed Pang, she seemed “frightened and tense” and had a bite mark on her chest. When she questioned her about it, she found out about the rape.
Pang told her that Pasriariyamatetrai had sexually assaulted her at the nearby hotel.
The mother discussed the incident with medium’s other followers and learned from another mom that he had been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting her 6-year-old daughter.
Pang’s mom filed a police report on Nov. 15. The reason for her delay in reporting the incident was unclear.
Pasriariyamatetrai was tracked down and arrested Thursday in a house in the capital of Bangkok.
Police Capt. Somwang Itthaprasat said the suspect was charged with sexual assault of another person who is unable to protect themselves, committing indecent acts against a person over 15 years of age who is unable to protect themselves and taking others for obscene purposes by using violent force.
The medium has denied the allegations and said he would only speak in court, according to The Thaiger.
