United Nations, September 16 (RHC)-- Another member of the scandal-ridden UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been accused of sexual exploitation, bringing the total number of such cases to 17.

"The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services has immediately taken steps to investigate this case, consistent with the secretary general's zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse," said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Tuesday.

A young woman came forward on Saturday with allegations dating back to around six months ago, a spokeswoman for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said.

The authorities of the unidentified man's country have been informed and he "remains in the country and will not be allowed to leave for the time being," said Dujarric.

Based on UN regulations, member states are responsible for investigating and prosecuting their troops accused of crimes while serving with UN forces.

According to a UN statement, the mission in CAR is currently dealing with 17 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel, "Of these 17 cases, 13 involve allegations against our military, one involves allegations against our police, one case is against a civilian, and in two cases, the perpetrator's status is unknown."

On April 10, 2014, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of MINUSCA over concerns related to the security, humanitarian, human rights, and political crisis in the CAR, with the utmost priority of protecting civilians. The force is comprised of nearly 11,000 troops drawn from various nations around the world.