From correspondents in Phnom Penh
AFP
CAMBODIAN police have arrested an Australian man on suspicion of paying for sex with underage girls over a number of years.
The suspect, identified by police as Michael John Lines, 52, was arrested yesterday. Police allege he has been having sex with two girls, now 17.
Major General Bith Kimhong, director of the Interior Ministry's anti-trafficking unit, today said one of the alleged victims was now the man's fiancee.
Bith Kimhong added that police suspected he had abused many children and that he had "been committing the offences for four years".
He said the man would appear at Phnom Penh Municipal Court later today to be charged with "buying sex from children".
Dozens of foreigners have been jailed for child sex crimes or deported to face trial in their home countries since Cambodia launched an anti-pedophilia push in 2003, to try to shake off its reputation as a haven for sex predators.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed the arrest.
"The Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh is aware of the arrest of a 52-year-old Queensland man on suspicion of child sex offences," a DFAT spokesperson said.
"The Australian Embassy is providing the man with consular assistance."
The suspect, identified by police as Michael John Lines, 52, was arrested yesterday. Police allege he has been having sex with two girls, now 17.
Major General Bith Kimhong, director of the Interior Ministry's anti-trafficking unit, today said one of the alleged victims was now the man's fiancee.
Bith Kimhong added that police suspected he had abused many children and that he had "been committing the offences for four years".
He said the man would appear at Phnom Penh Municipal Court later today to be charged with "buying sex from children".
Dozens of foreigners have been jailed for child sex crimes or deported to face trial in their home countries since Cambodia launched an anti-pedophilia push in 2003, to try to shake off its reputation as a haven for sex predators.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed the arrest.
"The Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh is aware of the arrest of a 52-year-old Queensland man on suspicion of child sex offences," a DFAT spokesperson said.
"The Australian Embassy is providing the man with consular assistance."
Put this bastard in jails for a long times, most of foreigner people came to cambodia for cheap sex...explore!
ReplyDeleteWe are a nation of panhandlers. Sad but true. As long as we depend on foreign donors, child exploitation will go on and on...
ReplyDeleteI'm just so discussed to see these foreigners in our country and doing these horrible things to our under age girls. I hope more and more of these freaked bastard foreigners will be caught!
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to these young girls parents? Were these girls sold in exchanged for money? Cambodian parents out there! please keep your eyes and ears open! Don't settle for cheap stuff, no matter how poor you are.
Hope the government will be strict on foreigners when they come to our country.
dear 2:46,
ReplyDeletemind you, the foreign pedophile is the tree that hides the forest of Asian pedophiles.