Russian arrested for child sex in Cambodia

Phnom Penh - A Russian businessman has been arrested and charged in Cambodia for allegedly having sex with at least six under-age girls, some as young as 12, police and court officials said Thursday.

Alexander Trofimov was seized at his home in the popular seaside town of Sihanoukville on Wednesday, said Major General Bit Kimhong, director of the Interior Ministry's anti-trafficking department.

Trofimov, 41, was arrested after his six alleged victims and their parents filed complaints, Bit Kimhong told AFP.

"He was arrested on charges of committing debauchery," the major general said, referring to a criminal charge covering a wide range of sexual offences that carries a maximum of 20 years in jail.

Police say Trofimov had sex with five of the girls in 2005, the oldest of whom was 16 at the time, and the sixth earlier this year.

Trofimov was transported to Phnom Penh municipal court where he was charged on Thursday with debauchery after he was questioned by the court officials for more than one hour, said investigating judge Iv Kim Sry.

"The court then decided to place him in jail pending more investigation," the judge told AFP.

Trofimov is the chairperson of the Koh Pos Investment Company, which last year was granted permission to build a $300-million (about R2-billion) resort on Koh Pos or Snake Island, an area Cambodia is trying to develop as a luxury tourist destination.

His arrest comes as neighbouring Thailand hunts suspected Canadian paedophile Christopher Paul Neil, who allegedly raped as many as a dozen young boys and posted photographs of his acts - some thought to be committed in Cambodia - on the Internet.

Cambodia has struggled to shed its reputation as a haven for paedophiles, putting dozens of foreigners in jail for child sex crimes or deporting them to face trial in their home countries since 2003.

More than 10 foreigners were arrested last year in a crackdown on child sex crimes, doubling the total number detained in 2005.

But officials, including foreign diplomats, have begun urging authorities to also target Cambodian paedophiles, who are thought to make up a large percentage of sex offenders.