Thai police, Interpol name suspected pedophile

BANGKOK (AFP) — A suspected pedophile being hunted worldwide after posting Internet pictures of himself raping young boys was identified by police Tuesday as a 32-year-old Canadian on the run in Thailand.

Thai police and the international police agency Interpol named the suspect as Christopher Paul Neil and said he arrived into Bangkok's main airport last Thursday.

It follows a groundbreaking urgent appeal last week when the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued a global request for assistance on its website, along with a picture recovered from one of his own images of him abusing boys in Cambodia and Vietnam.

"Thai police are collecting evidence and information from neighbouring countries and other Interpol members to seek a court order for an arrest warrant," police Colonel Apichart Suriboonya said.

"Thai police are working closely with Interpol to search for the man."

Interpol's Cambodian office confirmed the suspect's identity, and said that immigration officers were monitoring the borders in case he tried to enter.

"We have alerted all of our international borders," Keo Vanthan, head of Interpol in Cambodia, told reporters in Phnom Penh, adding, however, that no arrest warrant has been issued for Neil.

Interpol said Monday that Neil was a teacher of English at a South Korean school and that he was believed to be in Thailand.

Officials say he flew from Seoul to Bangkok last Thursday, when security cameras at the airport documented his arrival at immigration.

That image -- released by Interpol -- shows him as balding and with glasses, although previous pictures had him with more hair and no glasses.

"Thailand is at the centre of an international manhunt and authorities in the country, in cooperation with Interpol and police around the world, are hunting him down," Interpol chief Ronald Noble said in Monday's statement.

Some 350 people have reportedly given information after Interpol's appeal for help. The agency said key information came from five different sources on three continents.

International police and prosecutors are collecting and analysing evidence to bring charges against the man Interpol has dubbed "Vico."