A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexual exploitation of teenage girls, whom he allegedly lodged in his apartment in Chisinau. According to law enforcement officials, in one of the cases, the individual supposedly recruited a 13-year-old minor, accommodated her at his home, provided her with food and bought her clothes. But the man's care turned out to be false as he made her have sex with him, taking advantage of her lack of alternative, IPN reports.

The Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said that since 2022, the individual's victims had been children aged 13 and older, with family problems and who left home. They did not have parents or had only one parent.

In the case of the 13-year-old girl, the defendant not only had sexual relations with her, but also recorded the sexual intercourse. Subsequently, he published pornographic scenes on a group on Telegram. He exploited the child for over 40 days and, in the period, he also sheltered other teenagers in vulnerable situations, who left home.

At the request of prosecutors, the defendant was placed in pre-trial detention. The minor was transferred to a placement center.

The General Police Inspectorate said that the person guilty of such a crime faces 15 to 20 years behind bars or life imprisonment.