High-tech work led to alleged pedophile’s arrest

Police trace call
On Thursday night, police traced a call made on a cell phone by a 25-year-old Thai man with whom Neil was previously known to be in touch, said Paisal, superintendent of the Tourist Police Division.

Police had earlier said the man had arranged some of Neil’s alleged sexual liaisons with boys, but Paisal did not describe their relationship at Friday’s news conference.

They found the Thai man, whom they described as a transvestite, in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum. He told police he and Neil had rented a house together in neighboring Nakhon Ratchasima province, and he led the police there Friday morning.

Neil lived in Thailand from 2002 to early 2004, police said. Three Thai youths, aged 9, 13 and 14 at the time of their alleged abuse, contacted police Wednesday after seeing Neil’s photograph on television, claiming he had paid them for oral sex in 2003, said police Maj. Gen. Wimol Powintara.

The boys said the suspect showed them pornographic images on his computer at his apartment in Bangkok, and paid them each $16 to $32, Wimol said.

Neil, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, had taught at schools in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam since 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. Cameras at the immigration counter captured his image as he arrived at Bangkok’s international airport.

Police: Complaints in Canada too
Before teaching in Asia, Neil had worked as a chaplain in Canada, counseling teens.

British Columbia Attorney General Wally Oppal said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had Neil under investigation in Canada for complaints “involving young boys.”

He did not elaborate, and the RCMP did not immediately return phone calls.

“The RCMP had received complaints here and so obviously we have an interest in what happens to him in Thailand,” Oppal said.

He said Thai authorities have first right on prosecuting Neil but British Columbia will probably ask for his extradition, depending on what the province’s criminal justice branch recommends. Canada has sex tourism laws allowing prosecution for crimes committed overseas.

Wongkot said Neil would “definitely” be prosecuted in Thailand. “He will have to go to Thai court first. After the case is over, then we can send him,” he said.

Foreigners convicted of crimes in Thailand sometimes are declared undesirable aliens after their trials, and are expelled from the country.

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