Between October 2017 and September 2018, Thinh, 40, raped the younger girl once and the other one several times, investigation found. He also conducted lewd acts on the older one, now 13.

During the investigation and at the trial this week, Thinh admitted to everything he had done.

The court said Thinh’s behavior was serious and dangerous. Aside from life imprisonment, he was ordered to compensate the victims VND50 million ($2,100).

Official data from last year showed that out of 1,600 reported cases of child abuse in Vietnam, 80 percent involved sexual assault, and in most cases, the perpetrators were someone close to the children or having authority over them, such as neighbors, relatives or teachers.