Woman Allegedly Had Sex with Buddhist Monks — and then Blackmailed Them for More than $11M: Authorities By Sean Neumann

Police in Thailand have arrested a woman who allegedly seduced a group of Buddhist monks, had sexual relationships with them and then blackmailed them.

Wilawan Emsawat was arrested Tuesday at her home in the Nonthaburi province north of Bangkok and charged with extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods, according to the Associated Press, Sky News, and The Times.

According to the outlets, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said it began investigating the 35-year-old woman after an abbot – the head of a monastery – at a temple in Bangkok had abruptly given up his vocation and left the country last month.

Investigators discovered that Emsawat had allegedly been attempting to blackmail the abbot, telling him that she became pregnant after their secret sexual encounter, asking him to pay roughly $222,000 to help with the pregnancy, according to the AP.

The Times reported that the abbot fled to Laos after he refused to pay Emsawat and she began telling other monks about their intimacy, which is forbidden under the religious figures’ code of celibacy.

The outlet reported that authorities then seized five of Emsawat’s phones during its investigation and discovered videos and images of her engaging in sexual acts with a number of monks. The AP reported that investigators found “tens of thousands of photos and videos” on the devices, as well as chats between her and several monks that indicate they had intimate relationships.

In total, the outlets reported that nine abbots and senior monks have stepped down from their roles or been thrown out of the monkhood in relation to Emsawat’s case. Overall, authorities say Emsawat had received roughly $11.9 million in payments over the last three years – most of which, investigators claim, has been spent on online gambling websites, according to the AP.

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Sky News reported that the Thai government has now vowed to expand its investigation as concern about monks breaking celibacy vows has grown across the country.

“We will investigate monks across the country,” Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner Jaroonkiat Pankaew said, according to the outlet. “I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes.”