For child sex abuse, a former Maldives Minister of State and a Sri Lankan politician were both arrested. Thana Prasongsin/Getty Images32 people, including a former Maldives minister, were arrested for the sexual exploitation and abuse of a teenage girl.Over a three-month period, she was sold online to purchase sexual services.According to police, 22 people were known to have had sex in the home with the minor.For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.Police said Monday that more than 30 people were arrested in connection to a case of child sex in Sri Lanka.According to a Channel News Asia report by AFP, Sri Lankan police found two websites that advertised girls for sexual activities.Police say that a 15-year old girl advertised was raped repeatedly by almost two dozen men.Ajith Rohana, Deputy Inspector General of Sri Lanka Police, stated to the AFP that 32 people are currently in custody and that 22 of them have been known to have had sex.According to Ceylon Today, the racket was busted when a 35-year old was arrested for selling the teenager online for sexual sex for three months.The Maldives' former State Secretary for Finance Mohamed Ashmalee was among those arrested. Also, political figures from Sri Lanka's United National ruling Party, a merchant Navy captain, a wealthy jewel dealer and a Buddhist monk were also among the arrestees.No charges have been filed yet.According to AFP, Ashmalee, the ex-Minister of Maldives, will be kept on remand from July 16th. His lawyer said that Ashmalee, the former Maldives minister, was booking a massage online and didn't know the site was part a child sex trafficking network.Ceylon Today reported that the mother of the 15-year old was among the 32 people arrested.Sri Lanka has taken significant steps in recent years to stop the sex traficking of minors, but it remains on the US State Department's Tier II watch list of countries that have not met the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.Insider has the original article.
