Police warning posterBy Adam Fresco
Times Online (UK)
A suspected British sex tourist has been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of two young girls in Cambodia. A number of other British men are also being investigated for similar offences.
It is the first arrest of its kind for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), an international operation tackling child sex abuse. It is believed to be only the second time a British national has been arrested under UK law for child sex abuse offences that have taken place abroad.
The blue-collar worker, who is single, was arrested at his home in southern England early this morning and police are searching his premises. It is alleged that the 40-year-old abused two girls aged between 10 and 15 while in Cambodia.
British officers from CEOP have been in the country training the Cambodian National Police, teaching them about forensics and evidence gathering.
They are determined that child sex abusers will not be able to hide from justice by crossing borders.
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the CEOP Centre, told The Times from Interpol in Lyon, France: "A single man has been detained and is assisting us with our inquiries.
"We have been in Cambodia for three weeks working with the police force there training and briefing them on what they should be looking for when it comes to identifying travelling sex offenders.
"There are a number of other investigations ongoing as we speak involving British men in Cambodia."
And he warned that no paedophile would escape their clutches.
"See today’s arrest as giving one very clear and unequivocal message. If you are a child sex offender then you will be caught.
"Trying to escape jurisdiction by running across borders does not work. We will track you. We will work with international partners to limit your opportunities and ultimately we will take action wherever and whenever we can.
"If someone is arrested in Cambodia we will help them but if he has left their jurisdiction we will use the powers we have to arrest him here.
"We know that wherever we raise awareness the paedophiles may travel elsewhere so we are working with other countries as well."
Mr Gamble, added: "Cambodia is a great country and to the credit of our law enforcement partners out there, they have welcomed us with open arms as we have built up a good mutual understanding of what the issues are and shared good practice.
"What it is true to say is that over time Cambodia has been seen as a country that could be exploited by people who want to travel and sexually abuse local children - the reality is now far from that picture.
"Instead if you are an offender, thinking that Cambodia could answer your needs then think again. We are out there, other international law enforcement agencies are out there and everything we are doing in the region is down to the drive and determination by Cambodia to do whatever it can to crack down on this horrific crime."
CEOP has been active since its launch in April throughout Cambodia and similar countries working with national police and to tackle child sex abuse and travelling child sex offenders.
Last week a media student who was arrested while grooming his third victim for sex became the first person in Britain to be successfully prosecuted after being caught by an international police internet operation monitored by CEOP.
Lee Costi, 21, who had links with paedophiles in Poland and Hawaii, had groomed and had sex with two other young girls, aged 13 and 14, through internet chat rooms, when he was caught trying to ensnare the 14-year-old girl online. He was imprisoned for nine years for the offences.
Detectives were tipped off when Costi's third victim e-mailed the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) about her concerns.
VGT, a multinational organisation, invites youngsters to go online to report suspicious grooming activity.
The organisation, which is monitored 24 hours a day by worldwide police agencies, passed her e-mail to the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, part of the National Crime Squad, which contacted Nottinghamshire Police.
It is the first arrest of its kind for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), an international operation tackling child sex abuse. It is believed to be only the second time a British national has been arrested under UK law for child sex abuse offences that have taken place abroad.
The blue-collar worker, who is single, was arrested at his home in southern England early this morning and police are searching his premises. It is alleged that the 40-year-old abused two girls aged between 10 and 15 while in Cambodia.
British officers from CEOP have been in the country training the Cambodian National Police, teaching them about forensics and evidence gathering.
They are determined that child sex abusers will not be able to hide from justice by crossing borders.
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the CEOP Centre, told The Times from Interpol in Lyon, France: "A single man has been detained and is assisting us with our inquiries.
"We have been in Cambodia for three weeks working with the police force there training and briefing them on what they should be looking for when it comes to identifying travelling sex offenders.
"There are a number of other investigations ongoing as we speak involving British men in Cambodia."
And he warned that no paedophile would escape their clutches.
"See today’s arrest as giving one very clear and unequivocal message. If you are a child sex offender then you will be caught.
"Trying to escape jurisdiction by running across borders does not work. We will track you. We will work with international partners to limit your opportunities and ultimately we will take action wherever and whenever we can.
"If someone is arrested in Cambodia we will help them but if he has left their jurisdiction we will use the powers we have to arrest him here.
"We know that wherever we raise awareness the paedophiles may travel elsewhere so we are working with other countries as well."
Mr Gamble, added: "Cambodia is a great country and to the credit of our law enforcement partners out there, they have welcomed us with open arms as we have built up a good mutual understanding of what the issues are and shared good practice.
"What it is true to say is that over time Cambodia has been seen as a country that could be exploited by people who want to travel and sexually abuse local children - the reality is now far from that picture.
"Instead if you are an offender, thinking that Cambodia could answer your needs then think again. We are out there, other international law enforcement agencies are out there and everything we are doing in the region is down to the drive and determination by Cambodia to do whatever it can to crack down on this horrific crime."
CEOP has been active since its launch in April throughout Cambodia and similar countries working with national police and to tackle child sex abuse and travelling child sex offenders.
Last week a media student who was arrested while grooming his third victim for sex became the first person in Britain to be successfully prosecuted after being caught by an international police internet operation monitored by CEOP.
Lee Costi, 21, who had links with paedophiles in Poland and Hawaii, had groomed and had sex with two other young girls, aged 13 and 14, through internet chat rooms, when he was caught trying to ensnare the 14-year-old girl online. He was imprisoned for nine years for the offences.
Detectives were tipped off when Costi's third victim e-mailed the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) about her concerns.
VGT, a multinational organisation, invites youngsters to go online to report suspicious grooming activity.
The organisation, which is monitored 24 hours a day by worldwide police agencies, passed her e-mail to the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, part of the National Crime Squad, which contacted Nottinghamshire Police.
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