Most-wanted paedophile arrested

Updated 22.30 Fri Oct 19 2007

Keywords: Christopher Neil, Paedophile

Thai police have arrested Canadian teacher Christopher Neil who became the world's most wanted paedophile suspect.

The 32-year-old was arrested in the Nakhon Ratchasima province and is expected to be brought to the capital Bangkok later.

Before teaching in Asia, Neil had worked as a chaplain in Canada, counselling teenagers

Police rushed to the province after receiving information that Neil had fled to the area.

Announcing the arrest, Major General Wimol Powintara said: "Bingo! We've got him."

Thai authorities issued an arrest warrant on Thursday for Neil after determining that he may have sexually abused boys in Thailand, in addition to the dozen Cambodian and Vietnamese boys, some as young as six, whom Interpol suspects he abused.

Neil was identified following a global appeal by Interpol after a man was shown in around 200 internet photos sexually abusing boys in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Wimol said residents told police they had spotted the Canadian near the home of a Thai man who police say had helped Neil to meet young boys in the past.

Neil's photograph has been plastered across Thai newspapers and the television news for days, prompting numerous calls about suspected sightings. But police were focusing on the sighting in the north east.

Neil lived in Thailand from 2002 to early 2004, police said. The Canadian has taught at various schools in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam since at least 2000.

He suddenly left his most recent teaching job in South Korea last week on a one-way ticket for Thailand as investigators closed in on his identity.

Before teaching in Asia, Neil had worked as a chaplain in Canada, counselling teenagers.

Cameras at the immigration counter captured his image as he arrived at Bangkok's international airport.

The Thai arrest warrant is based on the testimony of one boy, who said he was lured to Neil's apartment in Bangkok by a Thai man, Wimol said.

The boy was one of three Thai youths, aged nine, 13 and 14 at the time, who contacted police after seeing Neil's photograph on television.

They claimed he had paid them to perform a sex act on him in 2003, Wimol said earlier, adding that the Canadian allegedly also had sex with at least one other underage male.

Canadian authorities have said they will seek his extradition, as the country has sex tourism laws allowing prosecution for crimes committed abroad.