Suspected internet paedophile named
Tuesday, 16 Oct 2007 19:44
Christopher Paul Neil is being hunted by police
Police have named the man they suspect is responsible for posting images of himself sexually abusing young children on the internet.
Interpol confirmed that Christopher Paul Neil, a 32-year-old English teacher from Canada, is the man identified by the Thai and Cambodian authorities in the images.
The suspected paedophile is currently at the centre of a global manhunt which is being overseen by the international police organisation.
Mr Neil was last seen at Bangkok's international airport in Thailand on October 11th, Interpol confirmed in a statement. Security cameras pictured him arriving at the airport's immigration point at 15:26 local time, having come in on a flight from South Korea – where he had been working.
Interpol said that a special officer from its general secretariat was assisting police in Thailand and neighbouring countries with the collection of evidence to facilitate the issue of an arrest warrant in the case.
Previously Interpol revealed that it had received a "remarkable" response from the public after releasing internet photos of the suspect which experts altered in order to reveal the man's face, which had been digitally scrambled to conceal his identity.
Images derived from around 200 pictures, believed to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2002 and 2003 and featuring 12 different young boys, were released. More than 350 people contacted Interpol in response to the worldwide appeal for information launched last week.
"Thailand is at the centre of an international manhunt, and authorities in the country, in co-operation with Interpol and police around the world, are hunting him down,’ said Interpol's secretary general Ronald Noble.
"The response and contribution we have had from the public has been remarkable, as has the support from the media, which has enabled officers in our specialised unit, our office in Bangkok and police in other member countries to make such remarkable progress in such a short space of time," he added.