Le Minh Hai, 29, was placed under house arrest and criminal investigation launched Thursday for "molestation of a person under 16."

His crime was uncovered after many parents complained to the school, saying that the teacher touched the girls’ genitals.

Hai admitted to the police he has molested eight girls aged six to eight. Forensic examination showed two of them suffered genital damage.

Recent reports of male teachers sexually assaulting school girls have shocked the nation.

Earlier this week, Nguyen Viet Anh, a secondary school teacher in Lao Cai Province, was arrested for impregnating a 14-year-old student.

A court in Da Nang City last month sentenced Nguyen Quang Chung, a former ethics teacher, to life imprisonment for raping several third-grade girls.

Vietnam recorded 1,547 child sex abuse cases in 2018, down 2.8 percent from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

In most cases, the perpetrators have been found to be people familiar with the children, such as teachers, school security officials, relatives and neighbors, prompting lawmakers and non-governmental organizations to call for Vietnamese parents to be more alert and pay more attention.