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Pederasty suspect goes on trial in Thailand

Pederasty suspect Christopher Neil smiles as he arrives at court in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

A Canadian arrested last year in a worldwide manhunt after Interpol unscrambled his swirled digital images from Internet photos went on trial on Monday in Thailand, accused of sexually abusing a nine-year-old boy.

Christopher Neil, a 32-year-old schoolteacher who worked in several Asian countries, has pleaded not guilty. He was arrested in Thailand on Oct. 19 after Interpol issued an unprecedented global appeal to help apprehend him.

Shackled and smiling, Neil waved to a friend and said, "How's it going?" as he entered Bangkok's criminal courthouse for the trial.

He was wearing an orange prison uniform, barefoot and chained to another prisoner.

"I hope there will be justice in Thailand," he told reporters.

Neil is accused of sexually abusing a nine-year-old Thai boy, who contacted police after seeing Neil's face on TV following his arrest. The child claims Neil paid him 500 baht to 1,000 baht (US$15 to US$30) to perform oral sex in 2003, while he was living in Thailand.

Neil faces up to 20 years in prison for charges that include sexually abusing a minor and videotaping the alleged abuse, taking a child without parental consent and holding him against his will.

"We've got the evidence and we have the victim," prosecutor Sontus Singhapus said. "He's guilty."

Prosecutors will introduce some 70 photographs that show Neil engaging in sexual acts and playing with young, naked and partially clothed young boys, Sontus said.

Neil's opening hearing was quickly adjourned after the court assigned him an attorney and set the next session for June 2.

Interpol's public call for help was based on the discovery of some 200 Internet photos believed to show Neil sexually abusing at least a dozen Vietnamese and Cambodian boys, some as young as six.

The photos were found online in 2004, but the face of the perpetrator was digitally obscured as a swirling shape. After three years of searching, the international police agency was able to unscramble the images. Interpol circulated the pictures and received hundreds of tips that led them to identify Neil as the suspect.

He was arrested 11 days after the appeal was launched after flying into Bangkok on a one-way ticket from South Korea, where he was working as an English teacher.
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