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'Swirl' abuse suspect trial due 'Swirl' suspect trial adjourned
(about 7 hours later)
A suspected paedophile known as Mr Swirl because of the way he allegedly disguised his face in photographs is set to go on trial in Thailand. A suspected paedophile known as Mr Swirl because of the way he allegedly disguised his face in photographs has appeared in court in Thailand.
Christopher Neil, a Canadian, denies charges of abusing two underage boys. Canadian Christopher Neil, 32, denies charges of abusing a nine-year-old boy.
Mr Neil was arrested in Thailand in October last year after an appeal by police working for Interpol. He was arrested in Thailand after a global appeal by Interpol, which used technology to unscramble the face of a man seen in dozens of images of abuse.
They had digitally reversed the swirl used to disguise a man's face on photos found on pornographic websites to create a recognisable image. Proceedings were adjourned until 2 June, after Mr Neil was assigned a defence lawyer.
Disguised The former teacher appeared in shackles and an orange prison uniform at the Bangkok criminal court.
Dozens of suspects have been arrested in Thailand in recent years as the country works to cleanse its reputation as a haven for sex offenders. "I just hope there is justice in Thailand," he told reporters as proceedings got under way.
But few have attracted the kind of attention now being given to Mr Neil, a 33-year-old Canadian. But the court was then adjourned after judges found that he had yet to obtain a defence lawyer.
Mr Neil says he is innocent In a brief hearing, they appointed him a lawyer and scheduled the next hearing for 2 June.
That is because of the way he was caught. The Canadian became the subject of a global manhunt following an unprecedented public appeal by the international police agency Interpol.
Interpol obtained around 200 photographs from websites showing the same man in the act of sexually abusing children in Vietnam and Cambodia. Experts used new software to unscrambled digitally-distorted internet photographs of a man sexually abusing children in Vietnam and Cambodia.
But his face had been disguised by a digital swirl. German police painstakingly reversed the swirl. Mr Neil was identified as a suspect and arrested in north-east Thailand in October 2007.
Interpol then put out an international appeal for information, which prompted enough responses for them to track Mr Neil to Thailand within 10 days, where he was arrested. He faces 20 years in jail if convicted. He also faces possible charges in other countries.
If found guilty, he could be sentenced to as long as 20 years in prison in Thailand. He also faces possible charges in other countries.