Thailand may check foreigners in wake of paedophile arrests

Thai police may begin making background checks on foreign teachers after arresting two on child pornography charges in less than two weeks.

Briton Paul Cornelius Jones, 39, who has lived in Thailand for seven years, was arrested yesterday after police raided his Bangkok apartment and found a computer containing hundreds of photos of naked boys and girls.

Earlier this month, Canadian Christopher Paul Neil was held on charges of having sex with several young Asian boys after Interpol decoded disguised pictures of himself that he posted on the internet.

Jones, a teacher at a Bangkok private school, was arrested after a tip-off from British police who said had been sending photos of naked children to Britain over the internet.

“It shouldn’t be enough to wear white shirts and have a university degree. We need to know their background,” said police colonel Apichart Suribunya, head of Thailand’s liaison office for Interpol.

“It’s easy for teachers to gain trust and respect from people, especially in Asian cultures which hold teachers in high regard.”

He said police would seek records of any convictions in home countries and from Thai immigration police before teachers are hired. Police also are considering background checks on the 1,000 foreign teachers already in Thailand.

“Academic background is one thing, but we need to also check for other information,” he said.

Jones, from Cardiff, has been charged with distributing pornographic photographs of children under age 15, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Thailand became a focus of cases of sexual abuse of children after Interpol began the hunt for Neil earlier this month. It issued an unprecedented worldwide appeal to identify him.

Officers found about 200 pictures on the internet of Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese boys being sexually abused by a man whose face was digitally obscured. German police computer experts unscrambled the photos so the man’s face was recognisable and tip-offs led to Neil.

He was arrested by Thai police and charged with child sexual abuse.

Neil has also worked as a teacher at schools in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam.