Claiming That It Is Difficult To Get A Job During A Pandemic, Two Young East Nusa Tenggara Women Are Involved In Online Prostitution

KUPANG - Two young women with the initials AP (20) and CB (21) were arrested by the East Nusa Tenggara Police. Both are suspected of being perpetrators of online prostitution in Kupang City. Both face up to 6 years in prison and a fine of IDR 1 billion.

"The two perpetrators are subject to Article 45 Paragraph 1 junto Article 27 of Law 11 of 2008, as amended in 2009 regarding Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE), with a penalty of 6 years and a fine of IDR 1 billion", Deputy Director of Crime and Crime Commissioner Yan Kristian Ratu told reporters in Kupang, Friday.

The two young women were arrested on Wednesday, September 1 in different places, where AP was arrested at her boarding house, while the other perpetrator was arrested at a hotel in Kupang City.

From the results of the preliminary examination, it was found that both of them carried out online prostitution transactions using the Michat application, due to economic reasons and it was difficult to find work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, in addition to securing the two perpetrators, the police also secured pieces of evidence (BB) from AP, an iPhone 8 mobile phone, and several other pieces of evidence.

Meanwhile, from CB, the police confiscated a cellphone, a Telkomsel SIM card, and IDR 585 thousand in cash. In addition, two contraceptives were also found, one of which was already used.

"The two perpetrators have now been secured at the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Police Headquarters, to be followed up with the legal process", said Commissioner Yan.

Responding to this issue, the Head of the NTT Police, Inspector General Lotharia Latief, told parents to give enough time to their children and that all activities can be monitored so that they can be controlled properly.

To the people of NTT in general, the Regional Police Chief appealed to jointly monitor the practice of online prostitution, because it is very damaging to the morale of the nation's generation because, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be one of the media for the spread of COVID-19.