Briton charged in Thai abuse probe

12 April 2012

A 74-year-old Briton has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy.

Alan Mawson, originally from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was held at his home in the coastal resort of Pattaya where officers allegedly found hundreds of photos and pornographic videos of young boys.

He was charged with sexual abuse of a child under 15, and faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Captain Sorakit Thanyasri from Pattaya police said Mr Mawson denied the charge.

The Briton has lived in Pattaya for more than 20 years where he runs a sauna and a property-leasing company.

Pattaya is a popular seaside resort about 70 miles south east of the Thai capital Bangkok. It is known for its nightlife and thriving sex industry and is home to numerous criminal gangs.

Thailand has long been a haven for sex tourism, but in recent years police have cracked down on foreigners who abuse the country's estimated 250,000 child prostitutes.

A Canadian teacher whose identity was unscrambled from disguised child pornography pictures was arrested on Sunday.

Christopher Neil, 32, was accused of having sex with dozens of young boys.

A picture of him allegedly taken from child porn images he posted on the internet was sent around the world by Interpol.

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