American, 75, charged with molesting Cambodian boy

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A prosecutor says a 75-year-old American man has been charged with sexually abusing four Cambodian boys.

Prosecutor Nuon San says the man has been charged after allegedly molesting boys aged between 9 and 13-years old. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Police say Jack Louis Sporich was arrested Monday in Siem Reap, a major tourist destination 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh.

Police say Sporich, who said he was from Chicago, Illinois, has denied the allegations.

Cambodia has long been a magnet for foreign pedophiles because of its poverty and lax law enforcement, but action against sex offenders has been stepped up in recent years.