4 foreigners caught in Pattaya

[PattayaMale]

Police have arrested four foreigners, including two British nationals, one German and a US citizen in a crackdown on sexual abuse of minors in Pattaya beach resort, police said Thursday.

 

"There are foreign nationals and networks facilitating sexual abuse of minors in Thailand so we needed to crack down on the crime," said police Major-General Chaiwat Kaetworachai, commander of Thailand's Prevention of Crimes Against Women and Children police division.

 

Chaiwat said the Pattaya clean-up, conducted from November 17 to Thursday, had been assisted by tip-offs from the UK-based Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOPC).

 

Netted in the crackdown were two British nationals, Malcolm Henry Payne and Robert Alexander Horsman, German national Fritz Dieter Blattner and US national Robert Roy Lond, who all face charges of sexually abusing minors or abduction of minors.

 

Also arrested was Thai national Saeng Kaetdee on procurement charges. All five were brought to Bangkok Thursday to face charges and court cases.//DPA

 

The Nation

 

Who is the CEOPC?

[Guest buaseng]

Who is the CEOPC?

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOPC), which has 115 full time staff and is affiliated to the UK national police unit - the Serious Organised Crime Agency - are an agency which monitors the internet for web sites and people distributing child pornography, and also work uncovering, tracing and tracking paedophiles who are active on the internet in 'grooming' children for child sex. They also liaise with police forces around the world, sharing information on known and suspected child sex-tourists. Their work includes the extensive use of adults posing as children to monitor internet web sites which target children for sexual abuse or exploitation.

[Guest luvthai]

The last couple that were arrested were permitted to buy their way out and then were deported. I would guess that these guys will also be permitted to pay and then also be deported.

[Gaybutton]

The last couple that were arrested were permitted to buy their way out and then were deported. I would guess that these guys will also be permitted to pay and then also be deported.

I suppose that's possible, but if they are able to do that, it's going to cost them a fortune, not to mention the reception committee that will be waiting for them when they arrive back in their home country.

 

You can't always buy your way out of these things.

 

"Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, "Little Big Man"

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

If you dance to the tune you, have to be prepared to pay the price.

[Guest buaseng]

not to mention the reception committee that will be waiting for them when they arrive back in their home country.

That's especially true, I'm glad to say, for the two Brits. They can be charged here in the UK with traveling abroad for the purposes of child sex tourism and end up on the child sex register, like Gary Glitter, having to clear any plans for travel outside the UK with the police.

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

That's especially true, I'm glad to say, for the two Brits. They can be charged here in the UK with traveling abroad for the purposes of child sex tourism and end up on the child sex register, like Gary Glitter, having to clear any plans for travel outside the UK with the police.

 

 

It is also true in US. The American can be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned in the US upon arrival.

[Guest Steve1903]

Slightly off topic but speaking of the Glitter man in the course of working today I saw a guy who looked a dead ringer for GG. We had a right good giggle about it but if I was him I'd get rid of the goatee and change the style of specs.

[Guest MonkeySee]

The last couple that were arrested were permitted to buy their way out and then were deported. I would guess that these guys will also be permitted to pay and then also be deported.

If a person is permitted to buy their way out, I assume that the charges would be dropped and nothing on the person's record. How is it then, the UK or US can charge that person in their home country? Doesn't seem right. The moral of the story is, check ID's and don't take a risk on underage guys.

 

[Guest HeyGay]

If you did not know, there is provision in Thai law to pay your victim for your bad deeds towards them, and his family, so in the case of the American and one of the English men, who I know both, they are reputed to be very wealthy, so all charges will be dropped and they may even be allowed to come back to this Paradise.Kingdom. unless you get caught breaking the Law or have no money, then you are in Hell.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

One set of laws for the rich and one for the rest of us. Seems to be a world wide condition.

[PattayaMale]

One set of laws for the rich and one for the rest of us. Seems to be a world wide condition.

 

 

I think the set of laws are the same. Just like staying at the Royal Cliff. Price is the same but not all can afford it. Unless you are a Thai MP....

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I think the set of laws are the same. Just like staying at the Royal Cliff. Price is the same but not all can afford it. Unless you are a Thai MP....

 

I fail to see the logic in your comment.

[Gaybutton]

They may be able to buy their way out of it as far as their troubles with the Thai authorities are concerned, but that doesn't mean they're going to come out of this unscathed. If nothing else, it's going to cost them a fortune. I'm also not so quick to assume they can buy their way out of it at all. It used to be easy to do if you had the money, but now it's not so simple, especially if there has been publicity, and often enough you can't buy your way out of this kind of trouble no matter how much money you can come up with. You also have to factor in that a UK-based NGO is involved. That alone could spell trouble for these guys.

 

The problem is there is rarely any follow-up to these news items, so it might be very difficult to discover what ends up happening to them. But one thing is certain, whether they can buy their way out of trouble or not. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

 

The part that makes it to my "I Don't Get It" list is the fact that pedophiles still take the risk in Thailand. I find it very difficult to make sense out of it considering that so many have been caught and that it is so simple to find legal-age boys who look so much younger than they actually are. Whatever it is that makes them do these things, I just don't understand it.

 

Once again, though, whether the charges against these men are true or not, their arrest had nothing to do with the bars. It is rare for arrests to occur when people take a boy off from a bar. In the vast majority of cases, it's people who are doing things with under-age boys elsewhere.

[Guest luvthai]

I have not heard whether these guys were actually caught with young kids or whether it is more of a web based arrest. Whether or not they are able to buy the way out they most certainly will be deported. But then again all the have to do is a name cahnge and get another passport.

[Guest buaseng]

But then again all the have to do is a name cahnge and get another passport.

A post by 'spot the dog' on Bahtstop indicates that Horsman had already changed his name at least once and was arrested under the name Horsman for similar offences back in March 2006 !!

 

"He changes nationality as often as he changes children:"

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ir...oad-128293.html

http://www.pattayamail.com/660/news.shtml#hd4

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS:

 

(see http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000008010 for photos)

 

Somehow, I don't see them buying their way out of this one . . . . .

_____

 

POLICE NAB FOUR FOREIGNERS IN PATTAYA PAEDOPHILE CRACKDOWN

 

Police have arrested four foreigners, including two British nationals, one German and a US citizen in a crackdown on sexual abuse of minors in Pattaya, police said Thursday.

 

Yesterday, [1 November] police Major-General Chaiwat said the Pattaya clean-up, conducted from November 17 to Thursday, had been assisted by tip-offs from the UK-based Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOPC). "There are foreign nationals and networks facilitating sexual abuse of minors in Thailand so we needed to crack down on the crime," said police Major-General Chaiwat Kaetworachai, commander of Thailand's Prevention of Crimes Against Women and Children police division.

 

Netted in the crackdown were two British nationals, Malcolm Henry Payne, 59, and Robert Alexander Horsman, 45, were arrested at different locations between 6am and 7am. A 67-year-old German man, Fritz Dieter Battener, and 62-year-old American Robert Roy Lond were also arrested in Pattaya following a joint operation between the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the Royal Thai Police. All four men were arrested and charged with sexually abusing children under the age of 15.

 

The arrests were made as part of operation Naga, which began earlier this year after CEOP identified an online network of suspected child abusers.

 

Police also laid out a large amount of sexual paraphernalia which they said had been recovered during the raids.

 

Officers said they had recovered hundreds of photos and videos of abused young boys. Also arrested was Thai national Saeng Kaetdee (30) (นายเอกนรินทร์ ชัยเจริญโชคดี หรือนายแสง เกตุดี ) on procurement charges. All five were brought to Bangkok Thursday to face charges and court cases.

 

They have been freed on bail to await a court case. If they are found guilty they could face at least 20 years in jail.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

They have been freed on bail to await a court case. If they are found guilty they could face at least 20 years in jail.

 

From my point of view that is not one day too much for pedophiles.

 

[Guest Steve1903]

What age were the minors involved?

[Guest MonkeySee]

If you did not know, there is provision in Thai law to pay your victim for your bad deeds towards them, and his family, so in the case of the American and one of the English men, who I know both, they are reputed to be very wealthy, so all charges will be dropped and they may even be allowed to come back to this Paradise.Kingdom. unless you get caught breaking the Law or have no money, then you are in Hell.

I did not know of this prvision in Thai law. I would be very surprised if these guys can buy their way out at this point in time. With the British NGO involved, I think the Thai police and authorities want to please their western counterparts to show they are tough on crime and pedos. Don't quote me on this because this is Thailand and anything can happen.

 

[Gaybutton]

What age were the minors involved?

At this point, all that has been said is whatever appears in the articles. The articles do specify that the ages of the boys are under 15 years old, but nothing more specific has come out yet.

[Guest luvthai]

Why people insist on using the internet and keep photos or videos to record their deeds is beyond me. These arrest are web/internet based and from the list of 200 that was put together last June. I do see them buying their way out thailand but I am sure they will be turned over to authorites in their own country as it was the home countries that intiated the searches.

[Gaybutton]

Why people insist on using the internet and keep photos or videos to record their deeds is beyond me.

Especially in this day and age. Unless they've been living in some sort of shell, they have to be as aware as the rest of us that if the authorities want to track down Internet criminals, they can. That point should have been driven home when they were even able to track down "The Swirl." It's hard to believe that anybody would still think he can outsmart or outmaneuver the authorities if they're trying to find you. Maybe they have some sort of psychological wish to get caught.

 

I believe there are probably a great many people who find themselves attracted to young under-age boys. The difference is most people know how to exercise self control. These people not only fail to exercise self control, but they actually spend their time and money going to places where they think they can get away with it and intentionally do these things. It's such a stupid thing to do, but they do it anyway.

 

People like this hurt us all. They reinforce the stereotype that gays are also pedophiles and they reinforce the negative reputation of Pattaya.

 

To me, the appropriate punishment for people like that would be to put them in a prison that has a full view of a school playing field. That would be exquisite torture for them. They would be so near, yet so far.

[Guest buaseng]

With the British NGO involved, I think the Thai police and authorities want to please their western counterparts to show they are tough on crime and pedos

Just for the record, for those who seem to have a hang-up about the work of NGOs, the CEOPC is NOT an NGO. It is a UK Government organisation affiliated to a UK national police agency - the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

CEOPC is tasked with monitoring and investigating child exploitation and abuse and child pornography on the internet.

It is therefore not a non-governmental organisation.

[Guest]

This from CNN.

 

170 arrested worldwide

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 170 people around the globe, including at least 61 in the United States, have been arrested in a major operation targeting international child pornographers, officials said Friday.

 

So far, Operation Joint Hammer has rescued 11 girls in the United States, ages 3 to 13, who were sexually abused by child pornography producers, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and representatives of the European Union said at the Justice Department Friday.

 

Dozens more were located in Europe, including several young female victims in Ukraine.

 

Authorities found connections between producers, distributors and customers in nearly 30 countries as a single investigation grew to a global inquiry into the dark corners of brutality and child abuse.

 

The investigation, code-named Operation Koala in Europe, was first developed when investigators determined a pornographic video found in Australia had been produced in Belgium.

 

"This joint EU-U.S. coordinated effort began with the discovery in Europe of a father who was sexually abusing his young daughters and producing images of that abuse," Mukasey said.

 

Further investigation showed a number of online child porn rings. Some included dangerous offenders who not only traded child pornography, but also sexually abused children, the officials said.

 

Agents are still attempting to locate child victims whose images have appeared in photos and videos and more arrests are expected as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Postal Inspection Service continue the investigation.

 

A Postal Service official said ringleaders primarily targeted prepubescent female victims to satisfy their customers, but noted that other groups produce photos and videos of boys and girls of all ages -- or even infants.

 

"For this subset, that's what turns them on," the official said.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/12/po...ests/index.html