'No place to hide'
2007-10-16 21:35
Bangkok - A suspected paedophile who posted digitally obscured pictures on the internet showing him raping young boys was identified by police on Tuesday as a 32-year-old Canadian on the run in Thailand.
The Interpol detective leading the manhunt and the organisation's leader separately urged the fugitive to give himself up to the authorities after his face became clear.
"He is now internationally known," said case officer Mick Moran.
Called on Neil to turn himself in
"There's really no place for him to hide."
Interpol's secretary general Ronald Noble called on alleged paedophile Canadian Christopher Paul Neil, nicknamed "Vico," to turn himself in.
"Our goal is for Christopher Paul Neil to turn himself in to local (Thai) authorities or to Canadian authorities and to return home to Canada," Noble said.
Thai police and Interpol identified Neil as the suspect and said he arrived in Bangkok's main airport on Thursday last week.
Interpol says 200 photos have been circulating on the internet, showing the man assaulting 12 different young boys.
They appeared to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia, countries that have gained reputations as destinations for sex tourism.
'Confident we can track him down'
A special crimes unit in Germany was able to produce a picture of him from one of his photos that had been digitally swirled to disguise his face.
"We are confident that we can track him down," Moran said.
"Interpol's network is very large. I have no doubt that we will find him - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but definitely we will find him."
He said authorities were able to track him down thanks to an unprecedented global appeal by the International Criminal Police Organisation based in Lyon, France.
"It basically broke this case for us," he said.
About 350 people reportedly responded to its groundbreaking step on Monday of issuing the request for assistance on its website, where the agency posted the reconstructed picture of the suspect.
The agency said key information came from five different sources on three continents.
Immigration officers on alert
Thai police said they were working closely with Interpol.
"Thai police are collecting evidence and information from neighbouring countries and other Interpol members to seek a court order for an arrest warrant," said police colonel Apichart Suriboonya.
Interpol's Cambodian office said immigration officers were put on alert in case Neil tried to enter the country.
Interpol says Neil was an English teacher at a South Korean school, but that he flew to Bangkok on October 11, when security cameras at the airport documented his arrival at immigration.
Moran said Interpol wanted to send a message around the world that sex crimes against children would not be tolerated.
"We wanted to make it very clear to everybody, especially to Western men who travel to this region to abuse children, that we won't tolerate it," he said.
- SAPA