A 38-year-old man has been arrested in Malé on charges of sexually abusing an underage boy.

The Maldives Police Services arrested the man under a court warrant at 6:00 pm on Tuesday. The suspect has been detained for 15 days.

A family member of the victim reported the incident to the police.

Reports of sexual abuse of underage boys have been increasing in the Maldives.

On June 10, the Criminal court sentenced a 38-year-old man to 14 years in jail for molesting a 16-year-old boy. In January, the Ungoofaru Magistrate Court sentenced a 51-year-old man to 10 years in jail for abusing a 14-year-old boy on multiple occasions.