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Online abuser 'English teacher' Hunted paedophile suspect named
(about 15 hours later)
Police conducting a worldwide hunt for a man shown sexually abusing children in internet pictures believe he is a teacher of English now in Thailand. A suspected paedophile who appears in about 200 internet images abusing young boys has been identified by Interpol.
The possible identification of the man, seen in about 200 images depicting abuse, comes after Interpol released a photograph of the suspect. Thai police named him as Christopher Paul Neil, a 32-year-old Canadian, and said they believed he was in Thailand.
The pictures of the man were digitally altered but police computer specialists have produced identifiable images. An image of English teacher Mr Neil arriving in Thailand from South Korea last week has been released.
Police said they may have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2002 and 2003. The abuse pictures, thought to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2002 and 2003, were distorted - but experts managed to unscramble them.
The suspected child abuser was identified by five different sources from three continents as a man teaching English at a school in South Korea, Interpol said. German computer specialists produced a clear image of a man's face, which sparked a global police hunt.
His name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, and current and previous places of work have also been established, according to the international police organisation. The suspected child abuser was identified by five different sources from three continents as a man teaching English at a school in South Korea.
Interpol then established his name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, and current and previous places of work.
'All other means''All other means'
Interpol said that on Thursday the man flew from Seoul to Bangkok International Airport, where his image was captured by security cameras. The international police body released an image of the suspect, who they say flew from Seoul to Bangkok International Airport on 11 October.
It had said the man seen apparently abusing 12 boys in a number of images was a danger to children while he remained at large. "Thailand is at the centre of an international manhunt, and authorities in the country, in co-operation with Interpol and police around the world, are hunting him down," Interpol chief Ronald Noble said.
The international police organisation launched its unprecedented global public appeal last week, after trying "all other means" to identify the man. The man seen apparently abusing 12 boys in a number of images was a danger to children while he remained at large, the police warned.
It said more than 200 people had responded to their appeal. Interpol launched its unprecedented global public appeal last week after trying "all other means" to identify the man.
It said more than 350 people had responded to their appeal.
Interpol databaseInterpol database
The first pictures of the man were found three years ago in Germany and the search for the suspect had been codenamed Operation Vico.The first pictures of the man were found three years ago in Germany and the search for the suspect had been codenamed Operation Vico.
The pictures had been manipulated to disguise the man's face with a swirl pattern, but computer specialists at Germany's federal police agency, the BKA, worked with Interpol's human trafficking team to produce identifiable images.The pictures had been manipulated to disguise the man's face with a swirl pattern, but computer specialists at Germany's federal police agency, the BKA, worked with Interpol's human trafficking team to produce identifiable images.
Interpol maintains a database of 520,000 images of child sex abuse submitted by 36 member states.Interpol maintains a database of 520,000 images of child sex abuse submitted by 36 member states.
Using sophisticated software, investigators have identified and rescued nearly 600 victims from 31 countries.Using sophisticated software, investigators have identified and rescued nearly 600 victims from 31 countries.