Thai police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks, and then used photos and videos of the acts to extort money from them.
Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman said.
This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand’s much revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking.
Thai police have arrested Wilawan Emsawat, a woman in her 30s, for allegedly luring senior Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and extorting money from them.
Authorities said she received about 385 million baht ($11.9 million) over three years, much of which was spent on online gambling.
“She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked him to pay $222,000,” said Deputy Commissioner Jaroonkiat Pankaew. At least nine monks, including abbots, have been defrocked amid the scandal.
Wilawan was arrested Tuesday in Nonthaburi province and faces charges including extortion and money laundering. Thai media reported that her phone contained tens of thousands of explicit files and chat logs with monks.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has ordered a review of laws related to monks and temple finances. “We will investigate monks across the country,” Jaroonkiat added. The Central Investigation Bureau has launched a Facebook page for the public to report misbehaving monks.