Police in Thailand have arrested a Canadian pedophilia suspect who was the subject of an international warrant and an intense manhunt this week.
Christopher Paul Neil, of Maple Ridge, B.C., abruptly left his teaching job in South Korea and flew to Thailand last week, after digitally unscrambled images of a pedophilia suspect were released by Interpol.
Neil, who had previously lived in Thailand, was arrested Friday in the northeastern part of the country, abotu 200 km from Bangkok, police said.
Police Maj. Gen. Wimol Powintara said local residents reported spotting Neil, at the home of a Thai man who police say had helped Neil to meet young boys in the past.
Images of the suspect had been broadcast on Thai television news, after cameras at the immigration counter in Bangkok's airport captured photos of him arriving in the country.
After those images aired, police say three Thai youths came forward Wednesday alleging they were paid to perform oral sex in 2003, a police official told The Associated Press. At the time, the boys were 9, 13 and 14.
Two of the boys also claim they were shown pornographic images at the suspect's apartment.
Thailand is the first country to bring charges against Neil. They include abducting a minor, forcible confinement and sexual abuse. The charges carry a maximum jail sentence of 20 years.
Interpol's "Red Notice" requests the subject's arrest for extradition.
Under Canada's Criminal Code, there are provisions to charge someone in this country for certain offences committed abroad, including crimes that fall under the category of "sex tourism."
Canada has an extradition treaty with Thailand, which could allow Neil to be tried here.
As well, the RCMP confirmed Thursday to The Canadian Press that is conducting an investigation of Neil's activities in Canada, including time spent working as a counsellor and chaplain at an air cadet centre in Nova Scotia.
Neil has been the subject of an international manhunt since photos of him were released to the public on Oct. 8.
German police, investigating the case for about three years, say they discovered about 200 photos of a man sexually abusing children -- but his face had been digitally disguised.
Investigators say the break came after they were able to digitally reconstruct a man's face in the pictures, which they then released to the media through Interpol.
The images were allegedly posted on the Internet in 2004, but were likely taken in 2002 and 2003 in Cambodia and Vietnam.
On Monday, after receiving hundreds of tips, Interpol announced it had identified the suspect but did not release his name. However, Thai and Cambodian police revealed a name, age and nationality on Tuesday.
