Gaybutton Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ Fugitive US Pedophile Hunted Down in Pattaya A fugitive American serial child abuser, accused of consistently preying on young Cambodian and Thai girls, has been tracked down and arrested, hiding in South Pattaya. The man was caught by police in his rented room in Yensabai Condotel, Pattaya Soi 18, South Pattaya, on June 9, 2009, in which many photos of young girls were found and taken as evidence. The individual, identified as Curtis David Fahlberg, 63, has been under surveillance by Pattaya police since 2006, however, the decisive move to arrest him came with a request from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) that he be arrested following a tip off that Fahlberg had been observed travelling between Thailand and Cambodia in what transpired was a pursuit of under-age girls in both countries. Fahlberg was actually on the run at the time of his arrest, having fled prosecution in the US, where an outstanding warrant was out for his arrest, accused of child sexual abuse. Fahlberg apparently has a penchant for very young girls. So far evidence collected reveals that he has sexually abused an 11-year-old Cambodian girl who was also photographed by him and a six-year-old Thai girl, likewise. He apparently used an agent to provide these and other girls and is suspected of more abuse of other under-aged girls in both countries. Following his escape from the US, Fahlberg, on coming to Thailand, apparently used a Thai accomplice to hide him from pursuers, not tremendously effectively, however, as his surveillance and subsequent arrest proves. A police spokesman has announced that Fahlberg will be handed over to the Immigration Bureau and deported to the US. Quote
PattayaMale Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ The individual, identified as Curtis David Fahlberg, 63, has been under surveillance by Pattaya police since 2006, however, Having someone under surveillance for 3 years, must cost a lot of man hours Quote
KhorTose Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Having someone under surveillance for 3 years, must cost a lot of man hours Not really when you compare it to the cost to society of an abused child. Most of our prisons are filled with abused children, many of them have long term mental and emotional problems, and many others abused children are never able to become completely functional. Quote
Guest Soi10Tom Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Today when I opened PATTAYA DAILY NEWS my Norton software went nuts warning me that the site was "infected" and a "High Risk"....someone in town might want to give them a call. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ The individual, identified as Curtis David Fahlberg, 63, has been under surveillance by Pattaya police since 2006, however, the decisive move to arrest him came with a request from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement............... What really bothers me about this is: Why was he under surveillance for so long and not arrested until the US requested it? How many children did this low life scum molest during that time? Quote
Guest shockdevil Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 What really bothers me about this is: Why was he under surveillance for so long and not arrested until the US requested it? How many children did this low life scum molest during that time? This is no surprise to me that it took so long for him to be arrested in Thailand. I remember that guy who was caught in the act molesting a young boy in the bushes after he had been previously charged in several sexual abuse cases involving other young boys. The authorities had also been following him for some time but failed to arrest him again until the "boy in the bushes" incident. It would not even surprise me further if that particular guy was once again out of jail already. Also, it is no surprise to me that the man in this current case is heterosexual. Many pedophiles are hetero, even the ones that molest young boys. I guess when the press reports on pedophile cases involving "heterosexuals" it gives the gay community a break on the unwarranted media demonization of their lifestyle. Thailand has become my second home and it makes me cringe every time I hear of a pedophile case in the news. It does not help the rumors or misconceptions that many people already have about Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries. I am almost embarrassed sometimes to let people know that I am going back to Thailand because I do not want to be branded a pedophile or sexual deviant. Sometimes the saying is true regarding "one bad apple spoiling the bunch". It's just sad that there are so many "bad apples" in our bunch. Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 11, 2009 Author Posted June 11, 2009 This is no surprise to me that it took so long for him to be arrested in Thailand. I agree with every word of Shockdevil's post. The story also reiterates what I have been saying, that most of these arrests stem from someone luring local children. Again, I have never seen a story about someone arrested when taking an under-age boy off from a bar. Part of the problem with the pedophiles seems to be that no matter how many are arrested, there are always more. The really frightening part is thinking about how many are out there who have not yet been caught and how many are buying their airline tickets to Thailand at this very moment. Quote
Guest tdperhs Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 It does not help the rumors or misconceptions that many people already have about Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries. It's those misconceptions and rumors that bring them here. I saw a very detailed documentary on pedophile tour groups that routinely go to Cambodia. Little girls - five to eight years old - were proudly reciting their knowledge of various sexual terms in English. This was on cable TV in the States. If you recorded the show, you could play it back and know exactly where to go to enjoy that particular perversion. The show's moral justification was reporting the arrest of two of the tourists. But the narrator made it clear that this happened far more often without any subsequent arrests, signaling that the chances of getting caught were slim. About twenty months ago, I made a trip to Sa Kaeo to visit people on a project that my Wat in Los Angeles was supporting. I took a bus to the nearest community, Anyaprathet, (sp?) which was, coincidentally, a Thai-Cambodian border crossing. I could not resist. I was teaching English in L.A. and had a few Cambodian students. I knew they would be impressed seeing the Cambodian stamp in my passport (It took a whole freakin' page and cost me fifty bucks!). As I crossed the frontier - about 50 meters - I was approached by many children with umbrellas offering to escort me under their umbrellas. Indelibly printed on my memory was the image of three of them - all girls - with only one full arm, the other being severed between the elbow and the hand. I mentioned this to a friend in Pattaya, one of the wisest Farang I have met in Thailand, and he explained that it is not rare for the parent of a large poor family in Cambodia to have the arm of the young female child lopped off to make her more profitable as a beggar. He had the kindness not to laugh at my immediate outrage. As I mentioned, he is a wise man. He explained that this child's sacrifice may well have kept a family of six or seven from starving to death. Compared to the children who are used as sex workers, I wondered who was making the greater sacrifice. Getting back to the topic of the thread, I believe putting these pedophiles in jail is a waste. Taxpayers end up paying for their crimes by supporting them. Many of them have a sweet portfolio that will keep on earning while they sit in prison expense free. Justice would be better served if those who exploit these children are required to pay a hefty child support to each child along with being required to register as sex offenders and being refused a passport. I understand the motives of the parents, however wrong it may be. They live in a survival culture. Without these affluent sex tourists, this industry would not last. One other thing, and this will probably get me hanged in effigy or burned at the stake - or at least the hamburger. These children, who are certainly victims, will not be as traumatized as we may be led to believe. First, they are being trained to believe almost catechismically that what they are doing is good. Call it brainwashing or whatever. What is important is the effect, not the motive. Second, the impact of an atrocity on the victim is inversely proportional to the number of victims involved. The more children who are victims, the lower the social impact. Ergo, the lower the psychological impact. To assuage its own guilt, the society will minimize the crime. I know this is hard for the western mind to fathom, but the years I have spent in Asia have taught me that living harmoniously in these cultures is less a matter of understanding and more a matter of acceptance. Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 11, 2009 Author Posted June 11, 2009 this will probably get me hanged in effigy or burned at the stake You make a couple good points, in my opinion. One is your ideas about the way the pedophiles ought to be punished, although something needs to be done to try to make sure they're not out there trying to have sex with more children. Your punishment would not succeed if the pedophile happens to be wealthy enough to handle paying child support without any problems. Also, by what method could anyone make sure the money is actually going to support the child? What would prevent an impoverished family from going through the money and still having the child out there as a prostitute? How could there even be a guarantee that the family would receive the money at all? You know how things work in third world countries. Some official would probably pocket it. You might be right about the social impact and that it may not have the adverse effects on children as we perceive, but that's only part of the issue. I think the other part of the issue, whether it is good or bad, right or wrong, or can prevent children from having their limbs chopped off, I still don't see how the pedophiles would have a right to be out there seeking out under-age children for sex under any circumstances. I just don't see how taking advantage of other people's misfortunes can be something positive. Some might argue that when we take Thai boys off for sex, we're exploiting them. That's a matter of opinion, but at least the boys can accept or reject our offers. Young children have no such choice. Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 23, 2009 Author Posted June 23, 2009 The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ FUGITIVE PAEDOPHILE CAPTURED IN PATTAYA FACES 30 YEARS IN US JAIL On 10th June PDN published the report of a fugitive American paedophile, Curtis David Fahlberg (63), who had been tracked down and arrested in Pattaya. He was consequently deported to the USA, where he was arrested on arrival. We have received the following report from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which we reproduce for the benefit of our readers: Los Angeles, California - A 63-year-old retired engineer from Mississippi made his initial appearance in federal court here late yesterday afternoon on charges stemming from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into allegations he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with underage girls in Thailand and Cambodia. Curtis David Fahlberg, of Pascagoula, Miss., was taken into custody by ICE agents June 12 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) following his deportation from Thailand. Fahlberg, accompanied by ICE agents, was returned from Thailand to face charges detailed in a criminal complaint filed last month that he engaged in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. The violation carries a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Fahlberg was arrested June 9 at his residence in Pattaya City, Thailand, by Thai immigration authorities and placed in deportation proceedings. At yesterday's hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer T. Lum ordered Fahlberg detained pending trial. ICE's probe into Fahlberg's activities began in June 2006 after officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at LAX questioned him following his return from a trip to Thailand. A preliminary examination by CBP of two laptop computers and a cell phone Fahlberg had in his possession revealed images of children in various stages of undress. A subsequent forensic analysis by ICE of those media uncovered more sexually explicit images of children as well as numerous emails written by Fahlberg detailing his sexual exploitation of children in Thailand and Cambodia. The affidavit filed in connection with the criminal complaint describes the defendant's alleged sexual activities with several underage girls, the youngest of whom told investigators she was in second grade when the defendant began photographing her in the nude. According to the affidavit, several of the girls Fahlberg had sexual encounters with were child prostitutes who worked in the Cambodian village of Svay Pak outside Phnom Pehn. In an email recovered from Fahlberg's computer, he wrote,"I don't worry how old a girl is if I like her." "The charges against this defendant are a direct result of the extraordinary cooperation we received from Thai and Cambodian law enforcement," said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Los Angeles. "Some pedophiles mistakenly believe they can escape detection and prosecution by committing child sex crimes overseas. We are putting pedophiles on notice that ICE and its law enforcement partners here and abroad stand ready to pursue and prosecute those who sexually exploit children." "The exploitation of children is among the most heinous of crimes," said Director of Field Operations Kevin Weeks. "CBP will remain vigilant in our efforts to secure our borders - and our communities - by working diligently to enforce laws involving crimes against children." The probe into Fahlberg's activities was conducted by ICE's Office of Investigations in Los Angeles and the agency's attaché office in Bangkok. ICE worked closely on the case with the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, the Cambodian National Police and the Royal Thai Police. ICE also received substantial assistance from Hagar International and World Vision, two non-governmental organizations involved in the effort to aid Cambodian child sex tourism victims. Fahlberg is being prosecuted under the provisions of the PROTECT Act. The PROTECT Act, which went into effect six years ago, substantially strengthened federal laws against predatory crimes involving children outside the United States by adding new crimes and increasing the penalties for these charges. This investigation is part of Operation Predator, an ongoing ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com Quote
KhorTose Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Getting back to the topic of the thread, I believe putting these pedophiles in jail is a waste. I can't quite agree. The pedophiles who molest pre or early post pubescent children should all be put in jail, just to stop them victimizing. I am sure that if you took a vote every person with any kind of compassion would want them off the streets, and be more then willing to pay for it. However, I go along with all of the rest of your idea Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 I can't quite agree. The pedophiles who molest pre or early post pubescent children should all be put in jail, just to stop them victimizing. I am sure that if you took a vote every person with any kind of compassion would want them off the streets, and be more then willing to pay for it. However, I go along with all of the rest of your idea Lock them up and throw away the keys. Quote
Bob Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Getting back to the topic of the thread, I believe putting these pedophiles in jail is a waste. Taxpayers end up paying for their crimes by supporting them. Many of them have a sweet portfolio that will keep on earning while they sit in prison expense free. Like other posters here, I strongly disagree with that notion. These people are some of the worst repeat offenders and, while we can't necessarily fully save the victim, the only way to prevent the guy from doing it again is to lock the bastard up. In my state (Michigan) and I think in most other states, the government goes after the criminal for the expenses of incarceration provided there are assets to get. At least in my state, the creep wouldn't be keeping his portfolio for long. Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Seems that anyone who has an axe to grind can cause trouble for innocent people. Troublemaker calls ICE, then ICE calls Thai Immigration and it can open up a big can of worms for a completely innocent guy in Thailand. Also interesting to note that if this guy didn't travel with a laptop that he'd still be abusing kids. Quote
