Phat Seng, 17, has been charged with the rape and murder of Pheng Phalla, age 12. Police said that Pheng was watching the family cows with her two brothers when Phat lured Pheng's two brothers away with 10 cents to buy candy.
Investigators say that when Pheng's brothers went off to buy candy, Phat raped Pheng and then drowned her in the meter-deep canal. Pheng's parents found her body in the shallow canal on Sunday.
If found guilty, Phat faces 15 to 20 years in prison. Krouch Chan Pov, provincial monitor for human rights group Adhoc, said that child rape in rural areas is a pressing concern.
